“So, now all their debts are paid in full, have they really also extricated themselves of public intrigue in them in the UK? After all, if the money was what enraged us; will we leave them alone now?” https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/will-we-leave-harry-and-meghan-alone

“It’s at the heart of the #HarryAndMeghan maelstrom, the vicious cycle of public interest in them, combated by an angry desire - often viewed as petulant - to lead private lives. This is often the crux of many celebs & their hatred of the paparazzi & of online & media trolling”

“But who will be interested, if they fade into the background,if they really are left alone,if they really do live pvt lives? It’s an odd & contradictory bind. Public interest in them not only sells papers, it opens doors to Netflix deals,it allows them to command ludicrous fees”

“The platform afforded them by the Royal Family is often leveraged towards the greater good. This is abundantly clear from #HarryAndMeghan’s dedication to activism, to raising awareness for causes they care about- from female education to climate change.”

“They will now be using their Netflix platform and their speaking engagements to do this too. Once more, they are leveraging their fame for a higher purpose- but also for a higher fee.”

“What seemed to irk so many in Britain about the couple was their resistance to public scrutiny, their refusal to make certain aspects of their life public, but then to accept taxpayer money. For many, this seemed an unbalanced relationship.”

“Many more found them ungrateful, or petulant; for taking the trappings of fame & giving nothing back. Yet this anger stemmed far too often into a form of vitriolic bullying, which was flavoured nastily with racism & misogyny.”

“The Sussexes no doubt hope that by paying back this money,they’ll have settled this debate....Unfortunately...The backlash has already begun, w/ many tabloids commenting that this marks a finality in their relationship w/ the BRF which makes it very unlikely they’ll ever return”

“The ‘transition year’ we were led to believe they were in now seems like a permanent move, w/ no notion of when FC will be occupied again. The tone of this has been acrid and despairing, using their new financial independence as - oddly enough - another rod to batter them with.”

“This anger may perhaps stem from a sadness in the UK, that our brightest, boldest young Royal couple have finally cut ties with us. Maybe we wanted them to depend on us financially so we could still demand access to them...still see Archie, still quibble over...Meghan’s tights.”

“But unfortunately for us, it seems the human cost far outweighed the fee for the Duke and Duchess. #HarryAndMeghan were unwilling to accept bullying as the price for their cottage renovations and so, in paying us back, they have settled their debt and finally made that clear.”

“But taxpayer money or not, the world is still watching #HarryAndMeghan and - while this may prove lucrative - it still leaves them exposed to criticism and condemnation. The true price of their lives will, perhaps forever, be public scrutiny. Paid in full.”

I don’t agree w/ the characterization of H&M but I do think this provides a thoughtful POV of the source of some of the British public’s anger/hurt both real & media-fueled. Brits are finally coming to grips with the finality of the situation. That’s why it’s a #BestRoyalReads.

From the day their relationship was confirmed, H&M made it known that the days of using royal wives as punching bags 4 national sport were over, but the media, the Firm, & much of the public chose to ignore this warning. Other Windsor men may have tolerated that but H would not.+

The pitch of the dog whistles changed but they weren’t silenced. For too long the UK media has inflicted abuse w/ little to no consequences. H&M believe you reap what you sow - that’s balance. There are repercussions for subjecting his partner to misogynoir & xenophobic vitriol.+

The lack of access was a direct result of how they were treated. When their son was likened to a chimp and there’s a public debate about whether that was really racist or merely just a joke gone bad or an innocent mistake, sorry but you don’t get access to Archie’s christening.+

The silence from RRs, the Firm, the family and the public was deafening. Where were the politicians & reporters who decried Hillary Mantel’s characterization of Kate? The letter from the female MPs was great but came much too late.+

Call H&M ungrateful or petulant if you want. I’d call them adults who understand their agency & self-worth. I see a couple dedicated to service who worked like hell to uplift marginalized people, orgs, & causes & were open to scrutiny of their work.+

They repeatedly acknowledged the public interest in them & leveraged it on behalf of others but drew the line at their son who they intended to raise as a private citizen. Now the Firm has done the public a disservice by suggesting this transition year was a probation period.+

The Firm & RRs led people to believe HMQ still has oversight over H&M’s projects. She doesn’t. The transition was to allow them to establish financial independence not to curry HMQ’s approval.The Firm can scrutinize undisclosed deal terms all they want. The contracts are signed.+

H&M are never returning to the previous arrangement. If that wasn’t clear from their January announcement, then you weren’t listening. With the pretense of funding concerns negated, now the critique of their work can be evaluated on its merits as much as the work itself. /END