#Phil Dampier journalist on this day

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They both left their lives as 'commoners'  to marry into a foreign royal family.

Yet the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, 41, and Princess Mary of Denmark, 50, couldn't be more different.

While Australian-born Mary, formerly Mary Donaldson, embraced her new royal title after relocating to Denmark, Meghan has burned all bridges with Britain's monarchy for good. 

As Meghan continues to throw barbs at The Firm in her latest Netflix docuseries, we take a look at how Mary set the gold standard for life as a modern princess.

Born in Tasmania, Mary met Frederik of Denmark by chance at a Sydney pub in 2000.

They maintained a long-distance relationship for a year, with Frederik making secret trips Down Under before Mary moved to Denmark to study the Danish language at Copenhagen's Studieskolen in 2001.

The couple married in 2004 and now have four children. 

Mary's decision to marry a Danish royal came with its own challenges - she had to relinquish her Australian citizenship and change religion from Presbyterianism to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark.

Mary also had to learn a new language and familiarise herself with Danish history and culture, as well as cope with the challenges of going from a nobody to one of the most talked-about and photographed women in the world. 

Yet Mary did so without a word of complaint to the media - something Meghan has failed to achieve.

Mary, who will one day become the Queen of Denmark, has always steered clear of scandal. 

Over the years, she has refused to speak negatively about others to the media and maintained a dignified silence amid controversies such as Queen Margrethe II of Denmark's recent royal title scandal.    

Earlier this year, it was announced that four children of Queen Margrethe's youngest son, Prince Joachim, would be stripped of their royal titles and would no longer be known as His or Her Royal Highness.  

As of January 1, Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, will become Counts and Countesses, and will be known as Their Excellencies.

Frederick and Mary's four children - Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, 11 - remain unaffected as they are direct descendants of the future King.  

However, Princess Mary suggested that might not always be the case.

'We will look at our children's titles when the time comes,' she said in an interview with Ekstra Bladet in Copenhagen. 

'Today we cannot see what the royal house will look like when it is Christian's time, or when Christian's time begins to approach.'

She also defended her mother-in-law's decision, saying:

'Change can be extremely difficult and can really hurt. I think most people have tried it. But this does not mean that the decision is not the right one.'

'I can understand that it is a very difficult decision to have to make, and also a very difficult decision to receive.'   

Meghan, on the other hand, was reluctant to accept the expectations that come with marrying a prince.

Since stepping down as a senior royal in 2020, Meghan has clung to the spotlight by taking endless public swipes at The Firm and the British press. 

She has also complained at length about dealing with the British press, despite having plenty of experience with fame prior to becoming a Duchess. 

Media was quite the savvy media operator prior to meeting Harry, maintaining friendships with British WAGS and tabloid journalists like Piers Morgan. 

In contrast, Mary had no experience with the press prior to becoming a royal.

'I'm sure Mary looks at what Meghan has done and is horrified by it,' royal expert Phil Dampier told New Idea in 2020.

'Mary is dedicated to her role supporting Queen Margrethe and she must feel Harry and Meghan have let down Queen Elizabeth.

'If Mary had "done a Meghan," it would be like [her] marrying Frederik, and then within two years, luring him back to Australia where they met and taking him away from his family and destiny,' Dampier added.

In Meghan and Harry's new Netflix documentary, for which they were reportedly paid $150million (AUD), the American-born duchess complained at length about what a shock it was to join the Royal Family.

Meghan, who was brought up as a Christian, was baptised into the Church of England before she married Harry but reportedly didn't have to be. 

'Baptism, as we understand it in the church, is a free adult decision and is not required for marriage,' Reverend Ruth Meyers said.

In the series, Meghan claimed she was 'surprised' by the family's formality, noting that she was a 'hugger' - something she did not realise was 'jarring for some Brits'. 

She said that her sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, was 'formal' behind closed doors and that Kate found her hugging 'jarring'.  

However, an unnamed friend has contradicted Meghan's version of events, telling  PEOPLE that Kate is in fact a 'big hugger'.

'She is warm and friendly and greets everyone with a big hug and kiss. It comes naturally to her to be like that,' they said.

Meghan also appeared to mock royal protocol by performing an exaggerated curtsey while describing her first encounter with the late Queen Elizabeth II.

She said the whole occasion felt like an antiquated banquet at Medieval Times, a family dinner theatre in the U.S. featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting and jousting.

Meghan claimed she had to google the British national anthem and wasn't given a  Princess Diaries-esque crash course on royal etiquette. 

Harry also spoke of his wife's turmoil, claiming his family had asked why Meghan needed more protection than other royals.

He said they had not understood the 'race element' and had displayed a 'huge level of unconscious bias'. 

'What people need to understand is, as far as a lot of the family were concerned, everything that she was being put through, they had been put through as well,' Harry said on the Netflix documentary.

'So it was almost like a rite of passage, and some of the members of the family were like, "My wife had to go through that, so why should your girlfriend be treated any differently? Why should you get special treatment? Why should she be protected?''

'I said "The difference here is the race element".'

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And as they were met with some booing at their only public appearance at St Paul's on Friday, the couple will have learned that the British public believe being a royal is 'about service, not about self', one critic said. Another told MailOnline: 'Their attitude seems to be if we’re not centre stage we don’t really want to be here'.

Harry looked particularly glum as they landed back in California yesterday - with royal experts saying the sixth in line to the throne appeared angry, anxious and very uncomfortable during 'fleeting glimpses' of him and his wife during the UK visit. On Thursday they were relegated to the Major General's Office with minor royals for the Trooping the Colour, where they were photographed playfully shushing children. Their children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, were not seen in public at all.

Investigative journalist Tom Bower, who is working on a biography of Meghan, told MailOnline that the Sussexes had been 'trounced' on their return to the UK.

He said: 'I think Palace officials were unusually skilful in managing the Sussexes. Just enough exposure to please the Queen but at the same time so limited to show them that they have been sidelined. Harry’s grim expression exposed and confirmed the troubles he now faces. Meghan now faces problems about her status. Netflix are left with a problem: The Sussexes are no longer stars'.

Harry's biographer Angela Levin said the couple were probably kept apart from Prince Charles and Prince William because of their ongoing rift and fears any private conversations could end up in Harry's memoirs or on a US TV chat show.

She said: 'I do wonder if they [Harry and Meghan] decided: "We've had enough of this, let's go early". I think they were furious. I think they believed they would come back and be welcomed with open arms - but the truth is that the world, and the Royal Family, has moved on without them. They thought that everyone would drop everything for them, but they didn't'.

She added: 'When Harry arrived at St Paul's, he had a growling face. It was there throughout. They were really really fed up. William and Charles have grown closer - they have filled the gap left by Harry, that must be hard for him. I suspect his brother and father will have been worried about speaking to him in private in case it ends up in his memoirs or on US TV’.

Markle Mic

Royal author Phil Dampier told MailOnline: 'Their attitude seems to be if we’re not centre stage we don’t really want to be here.

‘They must realise they are no longer popular with the general public, and travelling in and out by private jet hardly helps their so-called green credentials.

‘I’m afraid that all the time Harry is writing a book and making Netflix fly on the wall programmes, Charles and William will not trust him. They would worry that any in depth conversations would be repeated in the media, and so I’m sure they are keeping him at arms length for the time'.

‘The Sussexes should have learnt a lesson over the last few days. When it actually comes to capturing hearts and minds it is about service, not about self'.

This was hours before the Queen - who sources say was 'determined' to bravely overcame her painful mobility issues - returned to Buckingham Palace to personally thank the thousands of well-wishers in the crowd who had turned out to express their own gratitude. 

She was flanked by her three heirs - son, Prince Charles, grandson, Prince William, and great-grandson, Prince George - offering a glimpse into the monarchy's future.

This Prince Charles shows the public the slimmed-down monarchy. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could have been part of that, but they chose door number two with disastrous results.

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How Camilla has revamped her public image, royal insiders reveal

She was once dubbed ‘Britain’s most hated woman’, believed to have been the person driving a wedge between Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

But Camilla Parker Bowles has been on a stealthy mission to change the public’s perception of her – and by all accounts she’s succeeded. 

Earlier this year royal expert Phil Dampier went so far as to say the Duchess of Cornwall is ‘now quite popular’, adding: ‘I think most people will accept her as Queen when the time comes.’ 

Camilla Shand, now 71, met Charles, now 70, in the summer of 1971 and, according to royal biographer Penny Juror, the prince was instantly taken with her – particularly because she was ‘not in anyway overawed by him, not fawning or sycophantic’.

She was once dubbed ‘Britain’s most hated woman’, but it seems the Duchess of Cornwall, pictured standing between the wings of artist Paul Curtis’ mural entitled For All Liverpool’s Liver Birds, is now ‘quite popular’

But the couple were prevented from marrying then as Camilla was deemed ‘unsuitable’, with an insufficiently aristocratic background – despite her maternal grandfather being a baron.

Camilla went on to marry Andrew Parker Bowles, with whom she has two children, but the couple split in 1995 after 22 years of marriage. She married Charles in April 2005 in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. 

Since becoming a fully-fledged member of The Firm, Camilla has endeavoured to do right by her husband and the British public.

And her efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, with Dampier claiming people have ‘warmed’ to Camilla – and indeed her husband. 

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall smile as they prepare a mojito during a visit to a paladar called Habanera in Havana, Cuba, earlier this year

Grinning Camilla stands between singing legends Lionel Richie and Tom Jones during her and Charles’ Caribbean tour in March

Here FEMAIL takes a look at how the Duchess of Cornwall has quietly revamped her public image and injected a sense of fun into the royal family.  

Bringing out Charles’ fun side 

Much has been said about Camilla’s sense of humour, with former boyfriend Kevin Burke once describing her as ‘never tongue-tied or shy’ and always having ‘something amusing’ to say.

It seems her enthusiasm is infectious; once buttoned-up and serious, public-facing Charles now regularly grins and laughs with Camilla by his side. On a visit to Canada, the couple famously dissolved into giggles while watching traditional Iniot throat singers perform.

Camilla Shand, 71, met Charles, 70, in the summer of 1971 and, according to royal biographer Penny Juror, the prince was instantly taken with her – particularly because she was ‘not in anyway overawed by him, not fawning or sycophantic’

Charles and Camilla married in April 2005 in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall

Robert Jobson, author of Charles at Seventy, said his wife brings him ‘balance’, adding: ‘She has a great sense of humour. As a result he’s smiley and laughing.’

Camilla certainly comes across as genuine, with a longtime friend once describing her as ‘100 per cent sure of who she is’.

‘She had no side, no complexity,’ they said. ‘She is warm, witty, endlessly cheerful and has the ability to laugh at everything and tease Charles out of his Eeyore grumpiness.’

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, share a joke at the Mey Highland Games at Queens Park in Caithness, Scotland in 2008

Secret engagements 

You certainly can’t accuse the Duchess of being work-shy. As patron or president of more than 90 charities, she carried out 219 engagements in 2018, including 70 during overseas tours. 

She and Charles recently made a historic visit to Cuba during a 13-day tour across 10 islands, cramming 50 engagements into their schedule. 

Lynn Faulds Wood, a British television personality, bowel cancer survivor and ambassador for the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), said she thinks Camilla is ‘fabulous’ and great at bringing the causes she champions to the people’s attention. 

The Duchess of Cornwall, pictured listening to Diana Parkes whose daughter Joanna Brown was murdered by her husband, during a visit to the national charity SafeLives in Londo, often carries out ‘secret visits’

But Camilla continues to work tirelessly behind the scenes, paying secret visits that don’t garner any publicity according to Faulds Wood, suggesting a genuine care in her work. 

Claire Severgnini, chief executive of the ROS, said the Duchess always goes the extra mile to ‘meet the health professionals and the scientists and the academics behind the scenes’.

The ROS is an organisation close to Camilla’s heart, having lost her mother Rosalind to the bone disease in 1994.

Friendly and approachable  

Veteran royal reporter Jennie Bond once said she had a ‘great deal of time for Camilla’, and this attitude is shared by a great deal of journalists and photographers, reports Town and Country.

One anonymous reporter described Camilla as ‘my favorite royal, by a country mile’, adding: ‘She knows all our names, she fosters a sense that we’re all in this together. She always gives you a little gleam in her eye and will find a moment to look at our cameras.’

Camilla ‘always gives you a little gleam in her eye and will find a moment to look at our cameras’, according to one royal reporter

On one official visit to a vineyard in Crete, Jobson recalled the Duchess inviting him to ‘sit down and join in with the cheese and wine’.  

Coming across as down-to-earth without any airs and graces has arguably gone a long way towards boosting her public image. 

Sensitive approach towards Princess Diana

Although Camilla is technically the Princess of Wales, she has chosen not to use that title due to its close association with Princess Diana. 

She opts to go by the Duchess of Cornwall, despite her full official title being Her Royal Highness The Princess Charles Philip Arthur George, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Chester, Countess of Carrick, Baroness of Renfrew, Lady of the Isles, Princess of Scotland, Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.  

Camilla, pictured with Lady Diana Spencer at Ludlow Races in 1980, has chosen not to use the title Princess of Wales due to its close association with Charles’ first wife

Eradicating ‘wicked stepmother’ image

It’s clear Prince William and Harry have no ill-feeling towards their father’s wife, having greeted her warmly with kisses on both cheeks at a recent Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

Even at 21, when Harry was battling to cope in the wake of his mother’s death, he said Camilla is ‘not the wicked stepmother’, adding: ‘She’s a wonderful woman and she’s made my father very, very happy.’

It’s clear Prince William, pictured during the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games at the Queen Elizabeth Park in September 2014, and his brother Harry have no ill-feeling towards their father’s wife

The fact William and Kate chose one of her granddaughters, Eliza Lopez, as a bridesmaid for their 2011 wedding demonstrated to the public that Camilla is very much an important fixture in their family.

Providing support to Meghan 

One of the people to welcome Meghan Markle to the royal family with open arms was Camilla.

She and Charles have formed a solid friendship with Prince Harry’s wife, with the Duchess of Cornwall going all out to ‘support’ and be ‘very helpful’ to Meghan according to a close family friend, reports Vanity Fair. 

Charles and Camilla have formed a solid friendship with Prince Harry’s wife Meghan, with the Duchess of Cornwall going all out to ‘support’ and be ‘very helpful’ to Meghan according to a close family friend

With the overwhelming popularity of Meghan and Harry among the British public – evident by their rapidly growing 4.3million Instagram followers – Camilla’s apparent affection for the new duchess is bound to curry favour. 

Helping victims of sexual violence 

After speaking to survivors of sexual assault in 2013, Camilla decided to put this topic firmly on the agenda, reports Town and Country.

The idea of dishing out bags with toiletries to victims to use after medical examinations was her idea, and while on an engagement in Liverpool last month she paid a visit to a women’s refuge, armed with books, biscuits and jam for the children. 

The Duchess of Cornwall, pictured in 2015, holds a cosmetic bag created for sexual abuse survivors to use after they have been through medical examinations

‘She seemed to have an understanding of what faces them and wanted clarification on how schooling effects the children that come in here, can the clients come back once they have left the refuge,’ said a project worker of her visit.

‘She definitely did seem to understand the issues that are faced.’

Maintains her independence

Despite having a permanent residence with Charles at Clarence House, Camilla still keeps her own home – Ray Mill House in Wiltshire – and frequently spends weekends there with her children and five grandchildren.

She and Charles often spend time apart, with Camilla reverting to the informality of her life before the royal family by tending to her garden, seeing her friends and spending time with her family. 

Not living in each other’s pockets could well be the secret to their happy relationship. 

One of Camilla’s five grandchildren, Eliza Lopez, pictured in the arms of Charles, was a bridesmaid at William and Kate’s wedding in 2011

Winning The Queen’s approval

When Camilla and Charles married, she was bestowed with the title Princess Consort.

Camilla’s title Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall was awarded to her as a wedding gift from her new mother-in-law, the Queen. 

Her majesty went a step further in 2016, making Camilla a member of the Privy Council – her most senior advisory body.

Camilla, pictured standing beside the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a flypast to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force in July 2018

This shows a clear regard for her daughter-in-law and will enable Camilla to be ‘in the room’ when Charles is proclaimed king.

Whether Camilla will become Queen Consort remains to be seen, but according to Jobson, it’s a done deal. 

‘She will most definitely be Queen Consort,’ he said. ‘There’s absolutely no question about that.’

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Meghan Markle's family won't stop causing headaches for the new Duchess of Sussex

New Post has been published on https://harryandmeghan.xyz/meghan-markles-family-wont-stop-causing-headaches-for-the-new-duchess-of-sussex/

Meghan Markle's family won't stop causing headaches for the new Duchess of Sussex

JUST when you thought it was safe to assume the Markle family had learned its lesson, another crisis looms for their royal relative, Meghan.

The Duchess of Sussex is basking in worldwide glory after her captivating wedding in Windsor at the weekend to Prince Harry. The nuptials came after days of tension following unwanted interventions from estranged family members and her father Thomas being caught in a fake photo scandal, and then not attending the wedding.

Now her half-sister Samantha Grant — of “vulture” infamy — has caused outrage by once again bringing unwanted attention onto Meghan.

Samantha today claimed Meghan’s mum Doria Ragland was cashing in on her famous daughter by sharing pictures of them together soon after the romance with Prince Harry began.

Samantha, and Meghan, 36, have the same father, but she only recently began using the surname Markle — until now she has been known as Samantha Grant.

She made the attention-seeking slur on Twitter.

“Even Doria cashed in talking to Oprah and some of the first photos out there only she could have had”.

Reports suggest Ms Ragland will give an interview to media giant Oprah Winfrey, who was one of the first high profile guests to arrive at Windsor Castle for the wedding ceremony.

“The plan is for Doria to film part of her interview while Oprah is in London. That’s why she was invited to the wedding. There’s huge secrecy about what the interview will involve and when it will air,” a royal source told The Sun.

Samantha was branded a vulture by media figure Piers Morgan after she claimed it was media pressure that caused her father to pull out of the wedding. She later admitted it was her idea for him to pose in fake paparazzi pictures so he would better improve his public image.

The 53-year-old has written an autobiography called The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister.

She also lashed Meghan for ignoring her father and accused her of not taking care of him, telling The Sun: “I have receipts showing I’ve sent my father money twice by MoneyGram because he needed it He is badly in need of help. I’m dreadfully worried about him. He’s completely on his own.”

She went on to accuse Kensington Palace of failing to properly care for him as the attention of the world fell on him as the wedding neared.

But even as her tweet takes aim at Ms Ragland, it has emerged that she herself may have directly profited from the wedding.

According to the Daily Mail, Samantha was paid a five-figure amount to watch the wedding with a TV crew.

She appeared to defend the move when she was criticised by a Twitter user for not acting more like the Middletons, the family of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.

She responded: “They don’t have to speak to the media they have royal money and legal protection even members of the family who did not speak it were preyed upon by media vultures and photographers.”

The latest Markle family ugliness has reignited fears the so called Markle Debacle that caused havoc before the wedding could become an ongoing burden and distraction for the royal couple.

Journalist and public relations consultant Phil Dampier, who wrote Royally Suited Harry and Meghan in their own words, told news.com.au there had been plenty of warning about possible conflict.

“The Palace has had a massive wake up call with the ‘Markle debacle’ that ruined the build up to the wedding. They should have flown out and helped Thomas Markle, giving him advice on how to handle the press and pay for his suit and airfare.”

Dampier said it was obvious there were unresolved tensions in the family.

“Clearly there are issues between Meghan and her dad which need to be resolved or this could be a running sore. It’s extraordinary that Harry still has not met him.

“Kensington Palace thought they could control everything to the last detail, but this proves you can’t always.”

He warned palace officials would need to act quickly to stop any further problems arising.

“When the excitement of the wedding dies down the Markles could be embarrassing again so they need to get a grip on this.”

Thomas Markle, 73, has reportedly told relatives he expects Meghan and Harry to visit him in Mexico after their honeymoon, but no trip has been announced officially.

The exact nature of Meghan’s relationship with her father is unclear – some reports suggest she ignored his texts on her wedding day, and others say she was in daily communication with him.

Her only public statement about him was when she confirmed he was too unwell to attend the wedding after undergoing heart surgery. “I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health,” the statement read.

While some royal watchers fear the ugly headlines will continue, some believe the public will tire of the Markle antics.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said he doubted they would do major damage and dismissed them as a “sideshow of a sideshow”.

“I just don’t think damage limitation will be required. I mean Samantha seems discredited and this book [she#s writing] no one has seen a copy of it…I mean frankly I think she has become an irrelevance.”

Even if they continued to embarrass, it would become less newsworthy.

“Even if Meghan’s family, and a couple of them have been perfectly poisonous, become news again I don’t see it [causing problems]. They tend to shoot themselves in the foot every time they open their mouths.”

Mr Fitzwilliams said what he did think would happen was unfair comparisons being made between Kate and Meghan.

“I fear I can foresee the next one which is obvious is the so called rivalry between Meghan and Kate and also whether Meghan can survive in the royal family because its so different from anything she has known.”

It made for popular gossip, but he doubted there was any foundation to them.

Instead, he believed she would become a major force in her own right.

“I think she’s going to be one of the biggest global players in the charitable field, there’s no doubt about it…Not just in Britain and the Commonwealth but in the wider world.”

andrew.koubaridis@news.com.au