It was a week ago today that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that they’re getting married. Four days after that, she joined him for their first official public engagement in Nottingham. Today Harry attended the London Fire Brigade carol service at Westminster Cathedral. Sorry, I have to laugh, because whenever I think about firemen in England, I immediately go to Bridget Jones in Newcastle. “Excellent fire station! And now…back to the studio!”
Anyway, this is not about Bridget, of course. It’s about Harry and Meghan and …where is Meghan? She did not join Harry for this visit. Which gives us a new game to play: when does Meghan show up, for what, and when doesn’t she? Friday was World AIDs Day and, clearly, that was an event and a message that made sense for both of them to represent together. Evidently it was determined that tonight, it was better for Harry to go alone. Maybe it had to do with the location, Westminster, where many people were hoping they would have their wedding. You know what the photos would have been like. Harry and Meghan at Westminster Abbey – maybe they’ll get married there instead, or something. I know that sounds stupid. But the way some of the UK papers have been covering Meghan is stupid. Like did you hear about the cover of the Sunday Sport? It’s a ridiculous publication, the equivalent of The Globe in North America, and they put up a fake topless photo of Meghan Markle with a big headline about her “nude photo shock” and then, in small print underneath, they talk about how the royals are mad that topless photos of Meghan are being circulated on line.
!!!!!!!!!!
It’s the royal scandal version of finding an alien baby.
Meanwhile, over at the Daily Mail, they’re publishing more exclusive photos of Meghan obtained through her former best friend Ninaki Priddy. Priddy shared with the Daily Mail a set of over 50 personal photographs of Meghan dating back from childhood and told the paper that she and Meghan aren’t friends anymore because of the way Meghan handled the end of the her marriage to Trevor Engelson. Ninaki doesn’t specify what exactly the issue was, because she says it’s not her story to tell (which clearly explains why she’s talking to one of the dirtiest publications), but it’s definitely an “I want you to know that I know what you did”. Does that come with an “or else”? Like if Ninaki is holding back the information now, is it because she’s waiting to drop her bomb at a more opportune time?
You know, Kate Middleton had one of these too – an ex-friend who had all kinds of stories to tell and sell. Remember Jessica Hay? Ninaki Priddy gave the Daily Mail a photo of her with Meghan taken as teenage tourists sitting outside Buckingham Palace that was meant to suggest that Meghan’s been dreaming about Harry her whole life. Jessica Hay told anyone who would listen that Kate had pictures of Prince William up on her bedroom wall when she was at boarding school. It took years before Jessica was discredited. And at one point, even the LA Times was printing her stories and many profiles of Kate still include anecdotes that have come directly from Jessica. The point is, there are similarities, we’ve seen some of this before. It happened to Kate and it’s happening to Meghan, only probably worse. They made a big ass deal out of Kate’s “commoner” status. Kate was a British commoner though. Meghan’s a commoner, from America, and she’s biracial. For her it’ll be much worse. How will they handle this? How will Harry handle it?
Have you seen this video?
It’s from their walkabout on Friday. Go to the 6:30 mark. You’ll see there seems to be some minor drama with a photographer. Nothing physical. But Harry walks back over to whoever it was that was bothering him, points the person out to his bodyguard, and then seems to take Meghan out of the area. You can see he’s very protective of her. He can barely stop reaching for her.
