#house sussex

[queen-susans-revenge]

Book reviews: Spare and Endgame

At the rate royal "bombshells" drop, one might imagine Buckingham Palace a smoking crater of charred ruins.

But after years of drama, not only do all the grand old piles in the British royal family’s vast portfolio of real estate still stand, but the royal machinery that sustains them isn’t even dinged. And that's because all the smoke and dazzle is part of a calculated strategy, a show cooked up in concert between "the Firm" and the tabloids that profit from royal clickbait. The gossipy headlines generate profit for the papers, sustain public interest in Britain's royal family, and provide a useful way to punish members who don't toe the institutional line.

Prince Harry's biography Spare became the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time and generated countless media headlines. Omid Scobie's Endgame is currently providing chum for another tabloid feeding frenzy.

But ironically, both books are packed with stories the tabloids won't repeat, because they illuminate too much of the "invisible contract" between palace and press.

In probably the best coverage of Spare, Zeynep Tufekci wrote for the New York Times: "Any close follower of the British media should not have been surprised that after Prince Harry fell in love with Meghan Markle, the biracial American actress, years of vitriolic, even racist coverage followed. Whipping hatred and spreading lies — including on issues far more consequential than a royal romance — is a specialty of Britain’s atrocious but politically influential tabloids.

"People like me, uninterested in celebrities, shouldn’t dismiss the brouhaha around Harry’s memoir as mere celebrity tittle-tattle. He has made credible, even documented claims that his own family refused to stand up against their ugly, sustained attacks against Meghan. In other words, it appears that Britain’s most revered institution, funded by tens of millions in taxpayer funds annually, plays ball with one of its most revolting institutions.

"At the very least, it seems clear by now where some senior members of the royal family position themselves in all this."

Endgame goes even farther than Spare in detailing the often sordid workings of the invisible contract between journos and courtiers. Scobie details how Christian Jones, Prince William's communications secretary, fed negative stories about the Sussexes to Dan Wootton at The Sun in exchange for burying another story that might have been highly damaging to the heir: reports of private dinners and a "rural rivalry" that hinted at an affair between Prince William and Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley.

No proof or confirmation of that royal affair was ever provided, because after Jones' intervention, those stories were comprehensively scrubbed from The Sun's website. Instead, the paper was allowed to break the story of what it would call "Megxit": Harry and Meghan's desire to separate themselves from the Firm.

According to both Endgame and a report by the Byline Times, when Harry pursued legal action against The Sun, he was punished by the withdrawal of his official security. (It's worth noting that the disgraced Prince Andrew is still covered by taxpayer-funded security, despite having a much lower threat profile than Harry.) Scobie quotes a source as saying: "I have never seen the Palace circle the wagons like they did with Christian." Byline Times also quotes a source: "They threatened the removal of the funding to try and protect the royal household from a potential courtroom scandal with Jones and Wootton very publicly at the centre."

Why would the Firm pull out all the stops to protect a courtier, even if it meant putting the monarch's own second son in real and immediate danger?

Because Jones is merely a flunky for Prince William, and it's hard to imagine that Jones's press machinations were conducted without the approval of his "principal." Indeed, he wasn't William's only communications secretary to openly collude with the tabloids against Harry and Meghan: another highly placed aide, Jason Knauf, gave testimony on behalf of the Daily Mail in a case brought against it by the Duchess of Sussex, regarding the leak of a private letter. (Despite the attempted sabotage from William's camp, she won that case and was awarded a front page correction and a large settlement.)

The details of all this sordidness — the sacrifice of Harry and Meghan on the altar of tabloid drama, with obsidian knives wielded by Harry’s own closest kin in an attempt to secure more favorable coverage for themselves — forms the narrative backbone of both books. And William isn't the only one implicated in the matter: Queen Camilla emerges as a canny and ruthless operator, buying the rehabilitation of her own image with the coin of gossip leaked against both her stepsons.

"In a funny way I even wanted Camilla to be happy," Harry writes. "Maybe she'd be less dangerous if she was happy."

It's pretty hard to tell if anyone's happy in Britain's royal family. Endgame tells us that Charles is jealous of William, that William is jealous of Harry, and that Harry will probably never get any of the remorse he'd like to see for the way he and his wife were thrown to the wolves. Hating Harry — and even more so, Meghan — has become its own lucrative, self-sustaining industry. Literally hundreds of negative articles are published about the two every day. It's a relentless, often racist onslaught of character assassination that exploits the same culture-war fissions that drove Brexit.

Spare mostly comes off as a good-faith effort from a deeply weird person to explain to the rest of us why he's like this. Endgame isn't as well-written or compelling, but it backs up a lot of what Harry puts into generalizations with names, dates, and specifics. Together, they paint a very damning portrait of two rotten institutions propping each other up at the people's expense.

But by and large, you won't read about that in the press.

[sussex-newswire]

Hate campaign watch: I don't even know what to say. It's insane.

[queen-susans-revenge]

Our current royal family doesn’t have the difficulties in breeding that pandas do, but pandas and royal persons alike are expensive to conserve and ill-adapted to any modern environment. But aren’t they interesting? Aren’t they nice to look at? --Hillary Mantel

"I recognized the absurdity, a man in his mid-thirties being financially cut off by his father. But Pa wasn’t merely my father, he was my boss, my banker, my comptroller, keeper of the purse strings throughout my adult life. Cutting me off therefore meant firing me, without redundancy pay, and casting me into the void after a lifetime of service. More, after a lifetime of rendering me otherwise unemployable.

"I felt fatted for the slaughter. Suckled like a veal calf. I’d never asked to be financially dependent on Pa. I’d been forced into this surreal state, this unending Truman Show in which I almost never carried money, never owned a car, never carried a house key, never once ordered anything online, never received a single box from Amazon, almost never traveled on the Underground. (Once, at Eton, on a theater trip.) Sponge, the papers called me. But there’s a big difference between being a sponge and being prohibited from learning independence. After decades of being rigorously and systematically infantilized, I was now abruptly abandoned" --Prince Harry, Spare

I think we've heard the phrase "fame is abuse" before but it applies most to the English royal family, doesn't it? Tapping phone lines, hacking into phones, paparazzi contributing to Diana's death, constant speculation about the women's fertility, hyper monitoring of the women's bodies, the "caged panda" effect of being well taken care of but unable to do anything even mildly of their own will. They're born to do Imperial PR. And while PR for empire is evil, and abdication is always a fantastic option, having an entire family of people born and raised only to look pretty and have babies is also an evil of its own kind. Not as dangerous of an evil as the hoarding of wealth and the abuse of native peoples globally. But still an evil.

It produces warped and stunted people, too. Charles III's total failure to remove himself from politics and his crunchy conspiracy nonsense are the most noticeable effects of being a guy who's never been told "no" in his life (and the one time he was told no, he just carried it on as an affair anyways, damn the effects on his wife). And then we have Harry and William, made to perform their grief for millions of people, and Megan, who had the unfair choice of either giving up her relationship or walking into the greatest historical den of racism in the world.

We have a good teehee about short live the king around here and every royal death is an awesome chance to just stop, to just not hold another coronation. But tbh the whole system is internally abusive to those closest to it as well, and that's a secondary reason to shut it down. It's like releasing a zoo animal into the wild, right? They don't want to go from the million dollar enclosure into an uncertain environment, but set them free and their grandkids will thank you.

[essayisms]

During this peculiar September heatwave we are having, I made the pilgrimage to Virginia and Leonard Woolf's house in Sussex.

[livesunique]

Herstmonceux Castle,

Herstmonceux, East Sussex, United Kingdom

[huariqueje]

Summer at Great Dixter - Francis Hamel ,  2023.

British , b. 1963 -

Oil on linen , 18. x 14 in. 46 x 35.5 cm.

[coffeeandstrawberries]

Petworth House by Nathan Rollinson

[upstairsdownstairsandinbetween]

“Tilly Losch Footprint” Carpet,’ 1950,

Monkton House, South Downs, West Sussex, United Kingdom,

The Surrealist British poet Edward James was so in love with his ballerina wife, Tilly Losch, that when he saw a trail of her wet footprints up the stairs after her bath, he had them woven into the carpet. He also created a stairwell lined in a carpet woven with his dog’s paw-prints.

[rainydetectiveglitter]

What Not to Do with Your Chiron: A cautionary tale from Meghan Markle’s 11th-House Wound

Chiron wounds are tricky. They’re the part of us that never quite heals, no matter how much we try to fix, prove, or control them. The more we chase validation in this area, the more it feels like rejection follows.

Meghan Markle is a prime example of this. She has Chiron in the 11th house, the house of community, social impact, networks, and collective belonging. This means her deepest wound is tied to fitting in with groups, being accepted by the public, and making a large-scale impact.

And yet, what does she keep pushing? 11th-house themes. She leans into the role of a global humanitarian, a community leader, someone trying to create large-scale influence… but instead of being embraced, it constantly backfires. The more she tries to prove herself in this space, the more rejection, criticism, and skepticism she receives.

Her new show, With Love, Meghan, is a perfect example. It’s meant to be warm, uplifting, and communal. But instead of praise, it’s being called inauthentic, calculated, and disconnected from reality. Why? Because she’s forcing an 11th-house role rather than letting it unfold naturally.

What Not to Do with Your Chiron (Using Meghan Markle as a Case Study)

1️⃣ Don’t force the wound. Chiron isn’t meant to be “overcome” through sheer effort. The more you try to prove yourself in this area, the more it feels like you're swimming against the tide. Meghan’s relentless push to be seen as a global humanitarian keeps triggering resistance instead of support.

2️⃣ Don’t seek external validation. Chiron wounds often make us crave approval in that specific area. But acceptance in the 11th house can’t be forced, it has to happen naturally. The more Meghan tries to craft an image of social impact, the more it comes off as curated rather than authentic.

3️⃣ Don’t mistake performative efforts for real connection. The 11th house rules genuine community and belonging, not just PR campaigns. People sense when someone is trying too hard. Instead of telling the world she cares, Meghan’s best move would be to let her impact speak for itself.

4️⃣ Don’t ignore your strengths Meghan has Fortune (a point of luck) in the 11th house, meaning opportunities for public influence are already there. Instead of constantly pushing her narrative, she would benefit from simply letting things flow. Her luck will work better when she stops trying to micromanage how she’s perceived.

Instead of chasing recognition in your wounded area, lean into what feels natural and effortless. Meghan’s struggle shows that Chiron wounds can’t be “fixed” through PR strategies, they have to be moved through with authenticity and self-awareness.

Want to stop the backlash? Stop forcing what isn’t landing. Instead of trying to control how people see you, let your presence and actions do the talking.

Because when you push Chiron’s wound, the universe pushes back imo

[peacefulandcozy]

Instagram credit: aquietdiary

[queen-susans-revenge]

It's so fun watching the Sussexes crush another freelance royal tour! I know I've said before that the beef between them and the Palace is fundamentally a labor dispute, and here they are, just viciously displaying their competitive advantage.

I mean, William and Catherine can't do this. They're fundamentally incapable of going to diverse countries and forging diplomatic bonds, generating that kind of free global goodwill just through their charisma and performance. Surely there must be some beancounters sitting around back home, chewing on the inside of their lips, and wondering if there's any way to walk back the hardball that they played before?

Or is it really just so feudal, still, that it actually does come down to William being jealous of his little brother's wife?

Because Harry and Meghan are signaling that they'd be fine with a truce, and William is letting it be known that no, they are in exile. This is in no way good for Britain, or the monarchy, or anything like that. It only soothes William's ego.

So if they just keep shutting the Sussexes out entirely, well, that's amazing. Whole state level decisions still being made by one spoiled boy!

Anyway I'm having a lot of fun putting newspaper clippings into my scrapbook/sideblog @sussex-newswire

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

20 minutes of my life I'll never get back. 🤦‍♂️

I must be a glutton for punishment because I actually watched Kinsey Schofield's 20 min interview w/Valentine Low. May this rant save you from making the same mistake:

Valentine Low & Kinsey Schofield just reminded me that the British press is in desperate need of a grief recovery workshop to let go of their palace manufactured PR image of Sparry, "the CONSERVATIONIST," and accept the REALITY: Sparry has ALWAYS been a member of the lost boys who never intend to grow up. He loves drugs, perverted soho house sex play pens, and living a secret lifestyle in San Francisco, CA. As we saw in the South Park Documentary, Sparry has always wanted to be left alone so he can just bang on his drums all day.

The British media needs to accept that they never knew the Sparry aka Prince Harry. Much like Fergie & Andrew: The Meghans are two (2) intellectually below average individuals who married in haste. Both their academic & professional work histories indicate that these two (2) immature adults, lack even the basic skills necessary to function in society without the help of a PR "machine" whose job is to clean up their messes and repeatedly rebrand them into more acceptable members of polite society. It's past time for Valentine Low and other UK journalists to admit that they never really knew Sparry. All their Diana goodwill should now be invested into the future of the BRF (the family of Prince William)

No amount of hoping for the best or "covering up" for Sparry's misdeeds can transform the moral rot in his character. They bought and sold the PR image manufactured by the palace. It was the paparazzi & other "undesirables" who had the misfortune of observing the REAL Sparry. They watched him mistreat drivers, security, staffers, etc long BEFORE he was seduced by MEgain.

V Low believes Sparry flew a helicopter! 😳 Come on! Too many REAL service members have spoken out about Sparry's military character and performance and there's nothing good about it.

Sparry, like his wife is also a liar and a bully. He's not intellectually bright, he never was... He even bullied his grandparents before the "spectacle," he bullied Meghan's father...we heard reports about seeking a left wing wife and his interest in living in the US----all before MEgain.

Low also thinks Sparry loves his children. Has Valentine Low ever seen the invisibles? No. He's transferred a PR image to a couple of never before seen kids and their so called father. A so-called "father" who is willing to destroy his brother's children (and the innocent children of other couples) through the spread of destructive lies, has zero interest in the REAL wellbeing of anyone's kids, least of all his own.

As for the Wife: her ability to earn a college degree as an American teenager/young adult without even the offer of an ACADEMIC scholarship means that she too is mediocre and overrated. Her university commencement program states that she was a candidate for a degree in "communications" NOT some whip smart area of study like biochemistry or engineering! 🤦‍♂️

As a university student, thanks to her dad's brother (mike), she spent a measly six (6) weeks in Argentina on an exchange program (paid by her father) until she failed an exam that would have allowed her to apply for (real) jobs in the States. An intellectual or any hard worker would have studied until she passed the test. Not Rachel Meghan Markle. If no one was willing to make an exception for her low marks, then she would whore her way up a series of ladders until she found someone dumb enough to give her a platform.

No, this is NOT a "smart" couple. This couple is a cautionary tale about how Water seeks it's own level: Sparry's mother and teachers did him a disservice, just as MEgain's father did her a disservice: SPARE the rod & SPOIL the child

Kinsey believes that MEgain is "smart" because she achieved a Duchess title. (What does this tell us about Kinsey's IQ. 🤦‍♂️😳)

MEgain became a "Duchess" because she was a professional "seductress" employeed by Markus Anderson & Soho House. Everything this couple achieves is smoke & mirrors based on TRANSACTIONAL relationships where they bully & harass anyone standing in their way.

They don't even possess good work ethics, let alone above average IQs. Please call a spade a spade (or in this case a spare a spare) and stop gaslighting the public about what Sparry could have done had he not been involved with the wife.

We watched the wife verbally abuse KP staffers over bereavement flowers and feckless Sparry stood by in AGREEMENT. Wicked queen Jezebel 2.0 and traitorous king ahab 2.0. Let them go!

[livesunique]

Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex, United Kingdom,

Courtesy of Paul Highnam. ©Paul Highnam for Country Life

[trexalicious]

More like her ratings fell faster than a Soho House girl's knickers...🤣

[silverfoxstole]

Nymans, West Sussex, June 2024.