Prince Harry v The Mirror in phone hacking case

Then perhaps from the perspective of all children step mothers are just replacement wives ?

You know Harry wasn’t given counselling?

What if his issues went back long before his mother died? It was all covered up. High jinks. Boys will be boys. But he got worse and always had the mummy excuse.

Yes my mother did love my father, and he her, BUT, what she didn't do was spend the rest of her life blaming other people especially Germans whom she didn't blame, (they were young men too) and bemoaning her situation to the inevitable, eventual irritation of friends family and me, becoming bitter and deeply unattractive in the process. After four difficult years she met and was married again to a lovely man, (a POW of the Japanese,) and led a full, happy interesting life. Although he was rarely mentioned she never forgot my father and the very few times she spoke of him always ended with her in tears and me desperately trying to comfort her,ending up in tears as well. Trouble with grief is that it can overwhelm you, and if not spoken severely to, eventually consume you and take over your life, as it has with Harry. You just have to try and move on.

All I can say is,, whoever you are you cannot choose the family into which you were born, you can't help your provenance, wealthy or not. My mum lived on Richmond Hill overlooking the park, probably worth a couple of million today. I can supply the address, the date of sale and no doubt there is a record of the inheritance tax paid.
But that's it from me.
This time round it ain't going to happen like that.

Sorry wrong thread!
Yes, it's the heat here in France. Still 26 degrees.

According to the book by Ken Wharfe who was Diana's bodyguard and therefore spent a great deal of time with William and Harry as well ... and in fact is seen in the photo of them all on one of the slides at the waterpark back in the day .... the boys were always a handful and especially Harry who used to want to play-fight all the time.

Reading between the lines of both his book, other books and things that Charles has said, Diana (and Charles) didn't discipline them enough and they were allowed to run riot, messing up the gardens and generally playing pranks and misbehaving.

William matured but it seems to me that Harry never did. He was still the naughty boy in his 20s and 30s when the palace PR could still cover up most of his bad behaviour with drink and drugs.

Again I think you are right Sparklefizz. I don't think either parent was hot on discipline, perhaps not wanting to be the big bad wolf and hoping that school would iron out any problems. Paul Burrell also has said how badly behaved both boys were, almost running wild especially Harry. even his mother was worried about his lack of good behaviour. Harry's been in therapy for years,for all the good it's done him! When William allegedly hit him, he immediately rang his therapist! Weird or what? The tragedy of Prince Harry.

Gloryannie - we often disagree about politics but I can’t recall ever disagreeing with your posts on either Harry or Harry and Meghan. If memory serves, your experience of children is life, of course and teaching. Mine is life and therapeutic involvement with children and families. Your comment that divorce always damages children is true. Add to that the traumatic death of a parent at a key developmental stage and expect emotional/psychological difficulties. Play it all out in the public eye, with an emotionally unavailable father -perfect storm
Before people pile in with William is ok - his circumstances are totally different and he’s a different personality. That happens in families, one child more resilient

If divorce always damages children should parents who have come to dislike each other stay together ?

Thank goodness William was the elder of the two. The RF missed a bullet there thats for sure. Its happened before in the RF, George Vth s elder brother, the Duke of Clarence (Jack the Ripper?!) was considered highly unsuitable king material. Sadly, luckily? Eddy died, leaving the throne to the much more competent George. Edward V111th, another suspect, luckily exchanged for an unwilling but at least loyal younger brother, and that's only Hanovarians,go further back and you'll find more.

That’s the big question isn’t it Annie. In cases of domestic abuse, partners abusing substances so incapable of bringing consistency and love to the family, and refusing to change divorce probably least worst or even best

I was divorced in 1981 after eleven wretched years. I’m not judging others at all but given a choice children rarely want their parents to separate

Anniebach

If divorce always damages children should parents who have come to dislike each other stay together ?

No. But parents who divorce should work to make sure the damage is as small as possible. That sometimes means putting the children first and ensuring they are alright before pursuing your own desires.

Iam64

Gloryannie - we often disagree about politics but I can’t recall ever disagreeing with your posts on either Harry or Harry and Meghan. If memory serves, your experience of children is life, of course and teaching. Mine is life and therapeutic involvement with children and families. Your comment that divorce always damages children is true. Add to that the traumatic death of a parent at a key developmental stage and expect emotional/psychological difficulties. Play it all out in the public eye, with an emotionally unavailable father -perfect storm
Before people pile in with William is ok - his circumstances are totally different and he’s a different personality. That happens in families, one child more resilient

Thanks Iam64 that is so true.
There's also the "scapegoat child". Someone could replace Harry now. Such a dysfunctional family.

I found Harry’s belief that the press label various members of the RF to be accurate. Little Louis a scamp, George shy and sensitive, Charlotte a super child. These descriptions aren’t s=a million miles from the truth but I’ve no difficulty accepting Harry feeling he’d lived up to his wild boy label.
His drug and alcohol use by age 15 would have made any parent anxious. If we believe the media/palace, his father arranged for him to visit a drug treatment centre so he’d see the error of his ways.

Louis may be shy when age 9 , all children are super

I think the Royal children have a right to their childhood and shouldn't be labelled or stereotyped. The ironic thing is, that it is Harry himself in his book Spare who has actually added more fuel to the fire by discussing his own brother's offspring. He said Louis and Charlotte will end up like him. As if!

Divorce damages children , but so does an unhappy marriage. Most children do want their parents to stay together even if the marriage is unhappy, but if the split comes the parents should do everything to avoid dragging their children into divorce battles. it can be done; I have seen many parents work so hard to protect and support their children, and avoid dragging them into disputes.
I have also seen others who never miss an opportunity to damage the relationship with the estranged parent, and this I believe is what Diana did, and very publicly. Not the sole cause of Harry's problems, but one that exacerbated a weak character.

Just to add, I’m not suggesting miserable, abusive marriages should have to continue. Children do better in stable, happy families. People who choose to be parents should have that as their mantra. If separation is necessary, being good, reliable parents doesn’t go away, the children’s needs should be prioritised.

Why on earth should Charlotte and Louis end up like Harry? Princess Anne and Prince Edward haven't ended up like him Prince Andrew has made extremely poor choices but isn't like Harry, ie. He has never trashed his family, never used his family to make millions of dollars, he certainly never deliberately on a personal level made his elderly parents, H's grandparents final years a misery. Even the Duke of Windsor didn't personally and publically trash his royal relations, and certainly not the matriarch Queen Mary. This for me, is where Harry has fallen down so badly. Ok, despite his privileged education, he has no ability to make an honest living, but using your family including your dead mother to keep up your lavish millionaire life style is just appalling.

Hear hear Jaberwok

Another hear, hear from me. I think Harry’s behaviour has been absolutely appalling. Had Chelsey stayed with him, I feel it’s unlikely that he would have exhibited this behaviour, but of course I don’t know that. It’s just my opinion. The reason I think this way is because Chelsey never appears to do anything to seek any sort of publicity, whereas clearly Meghan does. If anyone wants to argue with me on that point, and say I have no evidence, please think about the Oprah interview before you do so.

Joseann

I think the Royal children have a right to their childhood and shouldn't be labelled or stereotyped. The ironic thing is, that it is Harry himself in his book Spare who has actually added more fuel to the fire by discussing his own brother's offspring. He said Louis and Charlotte will end up like him. As if!

That's really quite a nasty thing to say and to publish in a book.
He certainly wouldn't like it if William or Catherine started making public comments about his children.

maddyone

Another hear, hear from me. I think Harry’s behaviour has been absolutely appalling. Had Chelsey stayed with him, I feel it’s unlikely that he would have exhibited this behaviour, but of course I don’t know that. It’s just my opinion. The reason I think this way is because Chelsey never appears to do anything to seek any sort of publicity, whereas clearly Meghan does. If anyone wants to argue with me on that point, and say I have no evidence, please think about the Oprah interview before you do so.

Hear hear

I've said previously that my friend (one of the most astute and sensible people I knew) used to wonder why Harry was not allowed to relinquish Royal life, marry Chelsey and fade away into obscurity to lead a happy life away from the cameras, wherever they wanted to live.

But he wouldn't really have liked being out of the limelight, would he.

I think you may well be right maddy. She didn’t seem one for the limelight - hence H’s allegation about the reason for the split. The complete opposite of attention-seeking Meghan.

Sorry, can't agree about Andrew; he has used his Royal status shamelessly.