2020 - What a year. For many of us, this was our first experience of restrictions on our personal freedoms when living in a world at war, albeit with no bombs or bullets, but with an invisible enemy that crept up on everyone. 

2020 will go down as a year that many will want to forget and yet will for many reasons be unforgettable.

Meghan and Harry have also had a tumultuous year with highs and lows and negatives and positives. Let’s take a look back over their 2020.

Harry and Meghan, have managed to do so much in 2020, even though they have been socially distancing themselves due to Covid-19 and even though they have not been able to travel as much as they no doubt would have liked to. 2021 promises to be an even busier year for them both and maybe for Archie too.

Keep looking out for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, and Archie.

And check out my blog at www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com

Here’s hoping that 2021 delivers us good health, some freedom of movement, and some joy. 

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

Meghan was back in action this week.

1. Meghan appeared in a 2-minute video in support of the CNN Heroes 2020: An All-Star Tribute show, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa on the CNN Network. Amongst other things, Meghan gave thanks to the many people who are ensuring those in need can access food during the pandemic.
2. The second piece of news that emerged earlier this week was hearing that Meghan is stepping into the world of start-up investing. If Meghan weren’t married to Prince Harry this story wouldn’t have caused a ripple, however it is not often that we get to hear how the royals invest their money. An article about this was published in Fortune Magazine by journalist Emma Hinchliffe, the same lady who had interviewed Meghan earlier this year when Meghan took part in Fortune’s Most Powerful Women – Next Gen. summit. https://fortune.com/2020/12/14/meghan-markle-exclusive-first-investment-clevr-blends/
3. Meghan and Harry have launched their own Podcast being aired exclusively on Spotify in a multi-year deal. The name of their podcast is Archewell Audio. Their  trailer has Meghan and Harry laughing about their podcast voices and informing us what to expect.  We will hear about their passion for meeting people and hearing their stories and learning different perspectives and finding common ground.  Meghan and Harry will be celebrating kindness and compassion and showing us how we are all connected. 

Keep looking out for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry and Archie.

Check out my blog at www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com

And follow me on Instagram

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

Four former award winners at the charity WellChild UK were half an hour into a video conference, when patron of the charity, Prince Harry, zoomed bombed into the call. Were the kids surprised? They were gobsmacked!

WellChild UK report that over 100,000 children and young people are living with serious illness or exceptional health needs across the UK. Many spend months, even years in hospital because there is no support enabling them to leave. The charity’s  vision is for every child and young person living with serious health needs to have the best chance to thrive by being properly supported at home with their families.

https://www.wellchild.org.uk/ 

Like many non-profits, WellChild UK had to quickly adapt their service model after the on set of Covid-19. The charity set up a Direct Response Service to help families obtain Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that the children’s parents and carers needed, and  also ensured that the families they work with had access to sufficient food and other supplies.

This charity has some awesome ways of fundraising. They have a Sky Dive Challenge where you can do a 10,000-foot tandem jump for a modest fundraising effort of UK 395.00 and no sky diving experienced required!

Prince Harry has been Patron of WellChild UK since 2007. He has involved himself in all aspects of the charity and has helped to draw attention to the important work they do. In 2017 Prince Harry hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace, inviting WellChild families, volunteers, staff, and supporters to attend to celebrate the charity’s 40th anniversary. 

The reason for Prince Harry’s surprise appearance in the zoom meeting this week was twofold – firstly to touch base with the former award winners to see how they were all doing, and  - secondly to encourage people to make their nominations for the 2021 award. 

These kids were amazing. They all suffer from serious illnesses and at least two were hooked up to medical equipment during the video chat. But these were not young people feeling sorry for themselves. They were all smiles and full of optimism . If these kids can stay positive, we all should be able to do the same. 

You can email me at[email protected]

And check out my blog at www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

Things are pretty quiet on the Meghan and Harry front. Aside from Harry announcing his support for a new initiative by Her Majesty’s Armed Forces to introduce mandatory mental health training, and rumours of a new law-suit by Harry against Associated newspapers, Harry and Meghan are either taking a break from their charity work or are working away in secret.

So let's talk Real Estate.

This week we heard that Ellen DeGeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi purchased another luxurious property in Montecito where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle currently live. We are told that Ellen and Portia’s most recent purchase is a $49 million estate sitting on over 4.3 acres of land and featuring a 9,000 square-feet main building, a guesthouse, a pool house, a detached garage, and a barn.

Oprah Winfrey already owns multiple homes in the area and earlier this year we heard that singer Katie Perry (a native of Santa Barbara) and her actor husband Orlando Bloom had splashed out $14.2 million on a 6 bedroomed 12 bath roomed home in Montecito. Actor Rob Lowe is also rumoured to have purchased a home there this past fall.

According to an article by Amanda Eberstein published in the Wall Street Journal this week celebrities aren’t the only buyers after Montecito real estate. https://www.wsj.com/articles/celebrities-arent-the-only-buyers-after-montecito-real-estate-11607551226

For celebrities, part of the attraction of Montecito is the fact that it is within 90 minutes drive from Los Angeles. For non-celebrities, families and retirees are attracted by the fact Montecito is a safe community, outside of a city, with good public and private schools, and with access to hiking and beaches.

Ms. Eberstein in her article writes that the on-set of Covid-19 has boosted the area’s desirability, with the real estate market hotter than it has been in the past 18 years. Sales in 2020 are up by over 500% from the same time in 2019, with bidding wars and with houses being snapped up and purchased within days of being listed.

So we know that celebrities can afford to fork out for expensive estates but what about the other end of the market. What are the costs of entry level properties in Montecito? Well I scoured the Montecito real estate websites and I will tell you what I found.

Keep looking out for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry and Archie.

And check out my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

In his role as president of the NGO, African Parks, Prince Harry was interviewed by the CEO and by the Head of Strategy for the newly launched environmental streaming network WaterBear. 

Prince Harry has been president of African Parks since 2017. In a nutshell the African Parks conservation organization takes on direct responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of protected areas in various countries in Africa, working in partnership with governments and local communities. But they do much more than protect the parks and the wildlife. 

I would encourage you to check out their website to read about the good work that African Parks do, and to view some beautifully shot videos of the various parks in Africa at  https://www.africanparks.org/

Prince Harry was interviewed to help launch the free WaterBear streaming service.

WaterBear advertises itself as being dedicated to documentaries about environmental issues, conservation and the climate crisis. The network is set up to be interactive. Not only can you stream and watch free of charge award winning documentaries and short films, but viewers can connect directly with charities and can donate money or their time through advocacy and volunteering. 

In the Prince Harry interview:

• Prince Harry was asked whether his love for nature was something he always had or was it from some sort of epiphany?
• Harry spoke of how he was drawn to work with the African Parks NGO by the people in that organization. 
• Harry was asked about his fondness for Africa and how this came about. 

In promoting the WaterBear network Harry expressed feeling story telling was a good way to make people aware of issues and to make people passionate about conservation causes, but more importantly the Network would allow people to directly connect with over 80 NGO’s and put their passion into action.

Thank you for listening.  Please rate my show and check out my blog at www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

None of us could have failed to be moved by Meghan’s op-ed for the New York Times in which she shared her miscarriage story. As well as giving us a frank insight into what it feels like to go through a miscarriage,  prompting many other people to feel safe in sharing their own stories of loss, Meghan has again came back to the theme that she and Harry often speak about, that of asking people Are You OK? and of genuinely wanting to hear the answer.

What Meghan’s article brings home to me, as well as highlighting the issue of miscarriage and making this topic one that can be discussed without guilt or taboo, is her continued willingness to talk openly and unashamedly about things either not talked about or talked about in hushed tones. 

In an article on the Australian news site SBS journalist Natalie Reilly said of Meghan’s article "that it shared important information not just for women but also for men about emotional effects of grief." 

This move away from being stoic and away from putting on a brave face,  to openly discussing how we how feeling does not come easy for everyone.  

In an article by Brendan O’Neill the editor or Spiked-online titled  ‘Do we really need to know about Meghan’s miscarriage," O’Neill speaks of his discomfort in reading of the intimate details of what Meghan and Harry went through, adding that he felt like a voyeur in reading the piece. 

What Harry and Meghan and William and Kate have been championing is a movement where it is OK to say how you feel. It is not weak – it is not odd - it is alright to say how you are honestly feeling and not to be judged on that. It is OK to talk openly about emotions and mental health. The more people who talk about these things the more normal they become.

Please take a second to rate my show... And check out my blog at www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

This podcast is in honour of my American listeners for Thanksgiving. 

8 Reasons (that  I have come up with) for Meghan and Harry and Archie to be Thankful!

Please rate my show and keep looking out for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry and Archie. 

Check out my blog at www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

While Prince Harry has been making cameo appearances on TV and was spotted this past week quietly volunteering for a veteran’s charity in Compton in California, we have not seen very much of Meghan for almost a month now.

Meghan may well be busy meeting with her lawyers as her case against Associated newspapers for publishing her private letter to her father Thomas, continues to wing its way through the UK court.  At the end of October, Meghan asked for and was granted permission to adjourn the trial from January 2021 to later next year. Why? We don’t know – the judgment from the court speaks to ‘confidential grounds’ and segments of the judge’s decision have been redacted to ensure that the reasons remain private. https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/sussex-v-associated-newspapers-ltd/

One of Meghan’s favourite charities was in the news this week. Meghan has supported the Myna Mahila Foundation based in India for going on 5 years.

Founder Suhani Jalota has been named as one of the 3 finalists for the Global Citizen Prize, Cisco Youth Leadership Award 2020. https://mynamahila.com/

Meghan first connected with Suhani in 2016. They met in New York when Suhani was being presented with a prize. In January 2017 Meghan travelled out to Mumbai with the charity World Vision and got to see firsthand the work that the foundation was doing. 

In 2017 Meghan wrote an article about the foundation for Time Magazine, with the title "How Periods Affect Potential". The same year Meghan included the foundation's founder in a list of "The Ten Women Who Changed My Life" published in Glamour magazine.

Meghan not only invited Suhani to her Royal Wedding in May 2018, but instead of asking for wedding gifts Harry and Meghan asked guests to donate to one of seven different charities in their name, of which the Myna Foundation was one of them.

Meghan has continued to champion this foundation which works with the women and girls living in the slums of Mumbai in India. 

For more stories about Meghan, Harry and Archie, please check out my blog at www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

Prince Harry had a cameo TV appearance to support his good buddy and ex-Royal Marine JJ Chalmers who is taking part in a TV game show. So what game show is JJ on? 

As an ex-marine you maybe might think Celebratory Survivor, or Ultimate Fighter or maybe the Titan Games. But no, JJ is taking part in the UK BBC TV show Strictly Come Dancing.

JJ short for John James from Fife in Scotland, studied at the University of Edinburg and obtained his Bachelor of Education degree in 2009. He was a Royal Marine reservist and was deployed in 2011. Within 4 days of landing in Helmand Province in Afghanistan fellow soldiers were killed when an IED was triggered. JJ suffered severe injuries to his arms and legs and lost 2 fingers. His right arm had to temporarily grafted to his torso and he still bears the scars from this today. JJ describes spending 8 weeks in hospital dealing with the physical effects of his injuries and undergoing multiple surgeries, thinking he would never walk again. JJ is still impacted by his injuries. 

JJ went on with his life and has a successful career as a TV presenter. He also helped Harry to promote the first Invictus Games. JJ won medals in the 2014 London Games. 

So how’s JJ’s dancing going? Well he is going for it with lots of fun and spirit. You should check out the videos on You Tube or on the BBC Strictly twitter account. https://twitter.com/bbcstrictly

Prince Harry spoke to JJ and to his professional dance partner Amy this past week during their rehearsals. JJ spoke of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games being the catalyst to get him moving forward with his life after being injured. Prince Harry thanked JJ and told him he was definitely having an impact on his fellow veterans.

Harry couldn’t help but tease JJ for his dance clothing, his shiny dance shoes, and his fake tan. After the interview JJ said Harry is a veteran and also a friend - just like anybody else.

Check out my blog at www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/

Prince Harry is set to participate in the 14th annual Stand Up for Heroes event that is presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival. This year's event will be held virtually for the first time, and will air on November 18th on ABC network and on various social media channels.

One of the aims of this event is to raise awareness and funds for the Bob Woodruff Foundation. So what is the Bob Woodruff Foundation?

https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/

Usually the Foundation invests in non-profits seeking diverse and long-term solutions for US veterans, military members, and their families. However, they are not averse to giving some stop-gap investments when times are tough.

In 2020, the Foundation gave ‘expedited grants’ totalling 2 million dollars worth of investment to provide urgent support to veterans impacted by Covid-19. Funds were given to a whole multitude of organizations both local and national in America.

The work that the foundation does is trying to meet the holistic needs of veterans is a good match to the work that Prince Harry has been doing for UK soldiers. As a former solider and a veteran himself, Harry understands the importance of looking after the long term needs of the men and women who have served their countries.

I wonder if Prince Harry will be doing a comedy skit?

Here hoping that this years Stand Up for Heroes raises lots of funds for this extremely good cause!

Please rate my podcast and as always you can check out my blog at www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com

Show written and produced by Jeanette Songolo.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lili and in the meantime watch out for other posts on all things Sussex on my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/