WATCHING ...Harry & Meghan Netflix

So I agree that it’s just a matter then Mamie & Smileless of pick your side to believe.

Maisie I’m not sure you understand the correct scientific meaning of a hypothesis if you think I have proposed a ‘testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables or a proposed explanation for some observable phenomenon’.

Just to establish:
TAs are not members of a profession; that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.
If teachers cannot manage a class without a TA then they should not be teaching.

Quokka the difficulty is picking which side to believe because one side says nothing whilst the other has provable untruths amongst what they say.

Sparklefizz

GagaJo The unfavourable reception of the Cambridges in the Caribbean, Sophie and Edward's unwelcome greeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Princess Michael of Kent and the blackamoor brooch, Lady Hussey's racist harranguing of a guest at a reception. All of which could have been played down if there was a person of colour as a working royal.

What point are you trying to make here? Are you saying it should have been played down? Surely that would have been a cover-up and wrong? But it wasn't played down and we have all been able to make up our own minds.

Regarding someone querying the colour of the baby's skin - how do we know that ever happened? Ah, is it because it was said by a couple who have been proven to be liars countless times?

In my book if someone lies to me repeatedly, I don't trust them or believe anything else they say. This is the fate of liars - no one ever knows what little nugget of truth might be amongst the lies. It's their own fault if no one believes them.

There has been no evidence shown for any of the lies spouted by H&M - but we have all been able to judge for ourselves by what comes out of their own mouths. I see hatred and spite and anger and self-pity.

Meanwhile the world goes on turning - people at foodbanks, struggling to keep warm, tragedies with children falling through the ice, people drowning in the Channel, people have lost loved ones - yet these two clowns in Montecito keep on whining about their lot. They had the wedding they wanted, they had Frogmore Cottage made into what they wanted, they have been lucky enough to have the children they wanted, and now they have the life they wanted in California .... why are they still so angry and full of hate and misery?

Spot on Sparklefizz!
Much has been made of an unnamed member of the RF wondering what the colour of the baby's skin would be. Is that racist? Surely it depends on how it was said and by whom. Amongst close family members anyone might light heartedly wonder what the baby would look like, the colour of his hair, eyes or skin, or who he would take after. It's what families do. But we don't know how it was said and by whom, both very significant. So they dropped a comment which was so vague it could be endlessly misquoted and misunderstood and consequently start a racist storm. I think Meghan is very clever and knows exactly what she is doing.

eazybee

Just to establish:
TAs are not members of a profession; that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.
If teachers cannot manage a class without a TA then they should not be teaching.

TA’s do undergo training and testing leading to three different levels of qualification. And no, I’m not one.

I’m sure most teachers can ‘manage a class’ (whatever that means) but they are called teachers and their job is to teach not ‘manage. TA’s are invaluable supporting children with special needs in the classroom situation, helping with group work, reading, classroom displays, etc..

25Avalon

Quokka the difficulty is picking which side to believe because one side says nothing whilst the other has provable untruths amongst what they say.

Obvious not difficult to you!

Quokka

eazybee

Just to establish:
TAs are not members of a profession; that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification.
If teachers cannot manage a class without a TA then they should not be teaching.

TA’s do undergo training and testing leading to three different levels of qualification. And no, I’m not one.

I’m sure most teachers can ‘manage a class’ (whatever that means) but they are called teachers and their job is to teach not ‘manage. TA’s are invaluable supporting children with special needs in the classroom situation, helping with group work, reading, classroom displays, etc..

I have said this before, but, like many replies to threads, many people don’t read them before making their own reply.
According to Lady Colin Campbell, the conversation took place before H & M were even married, far less had any children, and it was Princess Anne who had said she didn’t think that ‘ culturally’ Meghan would be a good fit for the RF, and her not understanding their ways could cause problems , both for the royals and any children H&M might have. Lady C’s opinion is that they have chosen to take ‘ culturally’ as a reference to Meghan’s colour.
It will be on YouTube, if you care to watch.

Sorry, that was in reply to Chestnut’s post!

I've seen all the episodes - well, to be honest, I've just had it on in the background. Much of it is cringeworthy footage presumably highlighting how much in love they are, or a rehash of earlier allegations. The press harassment and the racism undoubtedly happened and there were no new revelations - I'd forgotten though about the hideous blackamoor brooch and the obnoxious Danny Baker's chimp cartoon.

The episode about Meghan's school days was interesting, where she comes over well, especially when she had a sexist TV advert changed at the age of 11! She's obviously a very intelligent and confident woman. Their charity work is admirable - Meghan's had her "causes" from very early on and they both seem sincere in wanting to make a difference. They seem to have a solid, loving relationship.

But the bridges are well and truly burned now, aren't they? Harry said the saddest part of stepping back from royal duties was the wedge created between him and his brother. Well there'll certainly be no going back after this, despite the apparent step forward at the time of the Queen's death. And Harry just came over as a bit pathetic at times. He looked as though he wanted the ground to swallow him up when Meghan performed her smug pantomime of the way she curtsied to the Queen. He claimed it was "terrifying" when his brother shouted at him - oh dear.

I just hope Harry and Meghan will get on now with enjoying their highly privileged and comfortable lives and stop airing their dirty linen in public. They know that the Royal Family won't be making a documentary giving their side of the story (thank heaven for small mercies), so the contest's a bit one-sided. Enough's enough now.

I'm level 3 trained. 3 years of studying and I have a diploma in supporting teaching and learning. As well as my other qualifications.

My qualifications are a requirement for many schools now.

Yes my job is a profession. Some schools EYFS are taught by qualified teaching assistants.

There are also higher level TAs qualified to teach for short periods

Also my job is amazing and putting it down is just going to make me think badly of you, not myself

I haven't watched the documentary series itself - what I have seen has been from snippets on the news. I'm no great fan of the royal family at all - I would have used the opportunity of the new King to pare it back to the very minimum, to be honest. I'm no great fan of H&M either - but I don't think William and Kate are nearly as innocent or saintly in all of this as they're being made out to be.

Good post, very fair, Maggiemaybe

I haven't watched any of it but agree with everything else.

Question to anyone who has actually watched these documentaries.

The media is full of photographs illustrating the various points that have been made. Was some sort of disclaimer made that these were re-enactments, was it a drama documentary? I just find it difficult to understand how, in moments of extreme stress, photographs were taken: eg Meghan crying, Harry showing Meghan the text from William which upset him Meghan wiping away tears whilst Harry stares at the ceiling.

Some of what they were saying (I did see a little on the TV news) seemed to be entirely feasible but I just cannot imagine any circumstances where anyone would have someone photograph the scene, let alone set up a camera themselves. That, I’m afraid is causing me to question the veracity of some other matters raised. However if there was a disclaimer that would explain it.

Well exactly Lexisgranny we've said this a few times. They have obviously planned all this from the start, or have re-enacted everything for the camera. Either way, it doesn't look good because it's so contrived.

Daddima

Sorry, that was in reply to Chestnut’s post!

Slightly confused here. There are over 800 posts on this thread so I doubt many people have read every single one. Are you saying that the query about Archie's skin colour was made before they married and was not about his skin colour at all? I had never heard Princess Anne mentioned in relation to this. How do we know this wasn't another conversation altogether? Is Lady Colin Campbell a person renowned for accuracy? I do know she sits firmly on the RF side of the fence.

Chestnut I realised that it had been mentioned before, but really wanted to know whether an explanation was given which might put a different complexion on it.

Chestnut

Well exactly Lexisgranny we've said this a few times. They have obviously planned all this from the start, or have re-enacted everything for the camera. Either way, it doesn't look good because it's so contrived.

If you watch the series Meghan says in the very first one that a friend told them to record their feelings and thoughts as they went along because this would help them come to terms with things.
Meghan was raised in a family which filmed things, think of the videos of her childhood.

how does filming Meghan crying and filming her wiping away tears when H showed her the text he'd received from W that had upset him, help them come to terms with things?

Did they have cameras running 24/7 in order to capture these moments because if not re enactments of what they claim happened, how on earth could they have known before hand that M was going to be in tears and set the cameras up ready?

Maggiemaybe especially when she had a sexist TV advert changed at the age of 11!

Meghan is always talking about this but her own father has discounted it - he said she wrote the letter to Proctor & Gamble who didn't reply so he mocked up a letter and pretended it was from them in order to give Meghan confidence.

He sounds a thoughtful man because he also bought 2 sets of dolls, one set black and one set white, so that M could have one of each as she is mixed race.

The tale perpetuated around Meghan persuading Proctor & Gamble to pull their ad has been debunked in Tom Bower’s book as has the one about Meghan receiving a reply from Hillary Clinton.

In the Oprah interview Harry told how awful Royal life was for him. He felt trapped and hated doing engagements but “the car would arrive and the smile went on and off I’d go”. How does that square with him saying they were doing the job better than the rest and they could have been such an asset to the family?

As for being terrified by William shouting at him?!?

I would be more likely to listen to what they have to say if they went before a skilled interviewer - Paxman, Maitliss let’s say who would actually ask some searching questions.

That's right Sparklefizz. He encouraged her to write to Procter & Gamble as it was known they were receiving 1000's of complaints.

Her father wrote to both P & G and Hilary Clinton as neither had replied to M and when there was no response, he arranged for a host on the children's Nickelodeon tv channel to do a report on M's protest at her school.

This contained a re enactment of her writing her letter to Hilary Clinton. Weeks later P & G bowed to public pressure; she did not single handedly get the advert changed.

Crossed posts Sparkle

Glorianny Yes I can relate to recording feelings and thoughts, but organising cameras in times of stress? Not sure about that. There is something a bit weird about it, no matter how used you are to being filmed. (My eldest as a toddler used to stop and smile every time a camera hove into view when we lived abroad much to our embarrassment, but grandparents always wanted cine films and photographs of the grandchild they had not yet met).

Blondiescot

I haven't watched the documentary series itself - what I have seen has been from snippets on the news. I'm no great fan of the royal family at all - I would have used the opportunity of the new King to pare it back to the very minimum, to be honest. I'm no great fan of H&M either - but I don't think William and Kate are nearly as innocent or saintly in all of this as they're being made out to be.

Me neither. Kate allowing the rumour of Meghan making her cry to permeate. William telling Harry to slow down with Meghan (just because W couldn't make his mind up about marriage). Not to mention the wide-spread rumours about William's affair.

But fair enough. They're people just like H&M and not required to be perfect. Which they're obviously not.

tickingbird Great minds etc.......