Prince Harry has lost his bid in court

Brigadier is an army rank. the equivqlent RAF rank is an Air-Commodore. Clearly the USAF does it differently.

Callistemon21

Perhaps the course is to teach them and warn them about the peculiarities of the eccentric British if they venture beyond the perimeter fence of the camp 😁

I believe it is a course "forced" upon the new brigadier spouses as they have never received drop-in visits from air marshalls prior to the spouse new rank? They have yearly air marshall visits at their respective unit, it seems.

Air marshall is, of course, wrong words - they have their own.

Whoopie Goldberg has said she does not believe the tale of the car chase, doubt anyone does now.

Perhaps the course is to teach them and warn them about the peculiarities of the eccentric British if they venture beyond the perimeter fence of the camp 😁

Callistemon21

^It does exist - for American RAF brigadiers^.

Sounds more likely!

USA RAF seem to have a high regard to their brigadiers? Not easy to understand. Also appear to hold pilot's worth higher.

It does exist - for American RAF brigadiers.

Sounds more likely!

Callistemon21

^I recall hearing of a training "class" for new brigadier's spouses, not sure what it entails or why - but such exists for "pomp" type roles^

I've never heard of this but I do know a Brigadier's wife so I could ask her what it entailed.

RN used to undertake such courses (aka Knife, Fork and Spoon courses) but not spouses as far as I know.

Sorting glassware I remembered where I heard about the class.

My husband held a business honourary position at two of the nearby RAF American bases for many years.

At a celebration to a brigadier promotion there was interesting talk about the class. It does exist - for American RAF brigadiers.

In my experience, RAF love parties for any little thing. I always listened in amazement when they talked about their odd, difficult, isolated life - lived so far from home. Parties must help.

Speaking as an army brat, I do not remember hearing about courses for wives. A Brigadier's wife would probably have been an army officer's wife for up to 20 years before her DH reached that rank, so would have known all she needed to know.

Thinking back to my army childhood, officers wives came in all varieties, just like other people, shy, confident socially inept, socially aware, educated and uneducated.

The main thing military families needed to know is that they were of no account, army life and the requirement of the job came first. By the time I was 8 I had decided that nothing, but nothing would ever persuade me to marry anyone in any of the armed services, or to join them, except in wartime.

RN used to undertake such courses (aka Knife, Fork and Spoon courses) but not spouses as far as I know.

We were invited to an RAF Wing Parade.
There was a published dress code for guests including the size of handbag that was acceptable.

Good. Who does he think he is…. Demand, demand and demand, that’s him..

A brigadier’s spouse wouldn’t need training,

Officers and their ladies. Other ranks and their wives . !

I recall hearing of a training "class" for new brigadier's spouses, not sure what it entails or why - but such exists for "pomp" type roles

I've never heard of this but I do know a Brigadier's wife so I could ask her what it entailed.

RN used to undertake such courses (aka Knife, Fork and Spoon courses) but not spouses as far as I know.

Understandable why William wanted Harry to wait .

Cold’s post is interesting. She mentions Princess Madeleine from Sweden who married, left royal life, and went to live in America, quietly and privately. The Japanese princess also did the same. Neither seek any publicity nor seek to win manufactured awards, and both have a completely private life, away from the media. I don’t believe that is what Meghan wanted. I believe that a quiet, private life is actually the last thing Meghan wanted. Harry was her stepping stone to all the fame and stardust she now enjoys. In my opinion she is a very shallow person.

There was no way Meghan was going to walk away from the titles, the money and all that fame. No way. I truly wonder if dishing the dirt for money was in her mind all along. She has no integrity in my opinion, unlike the other women who rejected royal life, or rejected Harry.

Callistemon21

Norah

Cold I think that these days the RF need to consider whether there needs to be a compulsory training period for anyone planning to be a working Royal so that they can decide whether the lifestyle will suit them.

Seems something they could consider, if it truly matters.

I recall hearing of a training "class" for new brigadier's spouses, not sure what it entails or why - but such exists for "pomp" type roles.

Before I get told, I know brigadiers are not at all royal.

Oh dear.

I've explained in previous posts that Meghan received 'training' and much insight into the role she might be expected to play as a Royal spouse and that was all before she married Harry, aka Henry.

There was the opportunity to walk away if it looked too daunting.

The Royal Family had learned from the mistakes they made with a young Diana and were determined that the same would not happen again and that Meghan should be well-prepared.

Any hints that this was not so could be untrue.

Norah

Cold I think that these days the RF need to consider whether there needs to be a compulsory training period for anyone planning to be a working Royal so that they can decide whether the lifestyle will suit them.

Seems something they could consider, if it truly matters.

I recall hearing of a training "class" for new brigadier's spouses, not sure what it entails or why - but such exists for "pomp" type roles.

Before I get told, I know brigadiers are not at all royal.

Oh dear.

I've explained in previous posts that Meghan received 'training' and much insight into the role she might be expected to play as a Royal spouse and that was all before she married Harry, aka Henry.

There was the opportunity to walk away if it looked too daunting.

Cold I think that these days the RF need to consider whether there needs to be a compulsory training period for anyone planning to be a working Royal so that they can decide whether the lifestyle will suit them.

Seems something they could consider, if it truly matters.

I recall hearing of a training "class" for new brigadier's spouses, not sure what it entails or why - but such exists for "pomp" type roles.

Before I get told, I know brigadiers are not at all royal.

No they wouldn’t would they Forsythia, because they were more discreet than Meghan. She apparently couldn’t wait to tell.

Glorianny

Rosie51

I know that Rosie51 and it is interesting to wonder why Anne's children didn't but Andrew's did have 24 hour protection at least until they finished university.

Glorianny I think you'll find that was because Anne never assumed the jumped up self-importance that Andrew always has, which he extended to his daughters. Harry appears to share that character trait with his uncle. Anne famously said her children just happened to have the Queen as their grandmother.
Interestingly Lady Louise, daughter of Edward, is entitled to be styled 'princess' now, but has elected to stay Lady. She comes across as very grounded.

Did you not want to comment on the difference in courtesy you display towards Catherine and Meghan?

That might be true but the team responsible for organising the protection claim it is nothing to do with the RF and they make the decision based on risk.

So far as I know Meghan is commonly called Meghan- I've always spelt it with an "h" and Kate is called Kate-usually spelt with a K. Just common usage.

No, the press call her Kate but the name by which she is known to family is Catherine.
Meghan is known as Megs too.

So Kate and Megs if you want to be like the Daily Mirror or Daily Mail etc

Alternatively we could use their titles.

I think the story out there is previous girlfriends didn’t want the life that came with it but we don’t know if that is really true or the story to cover up the fact they just couldn’t cope with him, his drug taking and paranoia. They’d hardly say that, publically, at least.

I do not think they necessarily need to go to a school, but in the past royals tended to marry other royals or people close to the royal family, so they knew the score and Prince William and Catherine Middleton were an item for 8 years before they married so she was very familiar with royal life before she committed herself to it.

I think Prince Harry was desperate to settle down and have a wife and family of his own - and having had several girlfriends back out because they did not want the life that came with him, Most of his courtship was outside this country, so that MM really had little idea what was really involved and he didn't want to slow things down in case she realised just how unglamorous being a working royal is, and how much of it is really boring and decide it wasn't for her.

Fergie, Diana, Megan, No. Sophie, Kate, Yes.

I think that's a good idea Cold but what would happen if someone refused compulsory training? I doubt Meghan would have been willing.

M0nica

i do not think Meghan Markle, as she was, had a clue what she was letting herself into, and didn't do anything to find out. I think her idea of being a princess seems to have been based on photographs at ceremonies and watching Disney films and she thought it was all wafting around in beautiful dresses in front of adoring crowds and returning home to a palace with lots of servants.

I think when she arrived in the UK and discovered what reality was she suffered a severe case of culture shock, that started when she discovered that Prince Harry lived in a small 2 bedroomed cottage and did his own cooking, not a palatial house or appartment surrounded by lackeys.

She also did not realise the enormous gulf between our two cultures. I also think that Prince Harry did not discuss with her what life would be like as a member of the Royal family, too afraid that if she realised too soon, she would be off like his previous girlfriends. This is why he threw a hissy fit when Prince William suggested that he slow things down and let Meghan get accustomed to what the job entailed before taking the relationship to the next stage.

But then I am with maddyone. MM immediate reaction to the shock of the real was to race back to the states where she was comfortable and knew the rules and similarly Prince Harry didn't think through what leaving the working Royal Family and scampering off to the states would entail for hm.

Both of them seem to make irrevocable decisions in the immediate heat of the moment, without research or consideration and then get upset when everything doesn't go as they imagined it would and people do not immediately fall in with their wishes.

I think that these days the RF need to consider whether there needs to be a compulsory training period for anyone planning to be a working Royal so that they can decide whether the lifestyle will suit them.

I believe they do this in Sweden where future working Royals must attend Royal school for 6-18 months. It is a mixture of studies and mentoring that covers things like: workings and organisation of the Royal Household, Swedish History - military ceremonial and cultural roles, etiquette and diplomacy, foreign languages, University courses in political science, government and politics, role of parliament and government, Public Administration at state and local level,

It means that the Swedish Royal family has managed to incorporate spouses from distinctly non Royal backgrounds, Prince Daniel (former personal trainer and gym owner) took 18 months as he married to the heir, - Princess Sofia's (former model and Love Island contestant) took 6-8 months. Chris O'Neill refused and has never been a working royal and has his own Finance business. He and Princess Madeleine live quietly as non-working royals in a gated community in Florida. She does the odd charity event, usually for the Queen of Sweden's childhood foundation and they appear at big Royal events. In fact Princess Madeleine and her husband live the kind of life Harry and Meghan said they wanted but instead pursued Hollywood fame