Kind thoughts for Meghan Markle

I was just saying last time how quiet things were in terms of Meghan and Harry lives and then out of the blue came the news that Random House will be publishing Harry’s memoir, with the anticipated release date of the book in late 2022  - just in time for Christmas. 

It seem that Harry and the publishers did not intend to release news of the book just yet. The announcement appears to have been forced upon them after The New York Post got wind of the project. 

The book has already caused a stir,  with some newspapers reporting that this is Harry’s chance to tell his side of the story, and others already accusing Harry of preparing to drop more bombshells that will embarrass the UK Royal Family.

For Harry’s part he released a news story through his and Meghan’s Archewell website under a heading "Prince Harry to Author Book Reflecting on Lessons Learned Throughout His Life." 

Alongside a description of his book is a statement from Harry in which he says  “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become. I’ve worn many hats over the years, both literally and figuratively, and my hope is that in telling my story—the highs and lows, the mistakes, the lessons learned—I can help show that no matter where we come from, we have more in common than we think. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the course of my life so far and excited for people to read a firsthand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.”

The press releases did not say that Harry has written the book himself. Some news outlets are reporting that Harry is getting some help from J R Moehringer, a Pulitzer-winning former journalist with the LA Times and now author. This has not been confirmed nor denied at this time.

Harry is taking heat for seemingly wanting to have privacy in his life but then being willing to tell us lots of intimate details. One Royal commentator, already fearing that Harry will release more bombshells in his book, has labelled Harry a traitor to the monarchy and to his family. 

How intimate the book will be remains to be seen. What we do know is that between now and when the book is released the press will have a field day speculating about what will or won’t be in the book. And once it is published, every little bit of it will be micro-analysed. 

It was good to hear proceeds from the book will be donated to charity. The press releases did not say that all of the proceeds will go to charity. However, even if only a fraction of the proceeds are donated, it is sure to net a tidy sum that non-profits and charities around the world so desperately need.

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast  and you can read other stories and reach out to me through 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/

It has been quiet in terms of Meghan and Harry and their charitable work. The pair had made it known that they intended to take an undisclosed amount of time off,  after the birth of Lili,  as parental leave allowing them to adapt to being a family of 4.  The gossip mill hasn’t stopped. As Meghan once said she can be nowhere yet everywhere. 

We heard this past week that Meghan and Harry took another step in fulfilling their business contract with Netflix, with news that Meghan will Executively Produce, alongside Sir Elton John’s husband David Furnish, an aminated series about a 12-year-old girl, who, as she faces life's daily challenges, is inspired by a variety of influential women from history. A very Meghan theme that will she her continuing to advocate for girl power and gender equity. 

We also got to hear this past week that Meghan and Harry and their Archewell foundation took their first step in fulfilling their commitment made back in May of this year, to support in a practical way the Los Angeles based mother and baby charity Harvest Home. 

This past May, Archewell Foundation announced that as part of Meghan and Harry’s mission to build a more equitable and just future for women, that in partnership with Procter & Gamble, Meghan and Harry would be working with organizations such as Girls Inc. and the National Women’s Law Center. And in honour of Mother’s Day, they made a commitment to purchase supplies for the second residence for Harvest Home LA, the homeless shelter specifically for expectant mothers.

Procter & Gamble both through their community support program as well as in collaboration with other non-profits like Archewell are keen to be seen as a company that gives back.

For their part Meghan and Harry whilst no longer working Royals, will want to ensure that the companies that they work with have high ethical standards. Rightly or wrongly,  Meghan and Harry will be held accountable in the media if they chose to work with dodgy people or organizations. Regardless of the amount of control that Meghan and Harry have over the actions of other people,  in the eyes of the world’s highly judgmental media, the blame for any unsavoury activities will be laid at the feet of Meghan and Harry. Meghan and Harry appear to have found a relatively safe partner in P & G

P & G say they want to lead the charge in doing the right thing and use every opportunity, no matter how small, to set change in motion. To be a force for good and a force for growth. They have set up various campaigns around doing good deeds or Acts of Love  as they call them to support parents and children around the world. 

P & G have also set themselves up as a company that is inclusive and one that supports gender equality. 

Per the P & G 2020 Citizenship report P & G in the US has turned their attention to addressing systemic racism and inequality.

In was in this context that as part of their on-going collaboration and fulfilling their Mother’s Day promise to support Harvest Home in practical ways, that this past week pallet loads of diapers were dropped off on behalf of P & G, Meghan and Harry,  and Archewell.  Harvest Home were extremely thankful for the 'pallets and pallets of diapers' and posted as much on their social media accounts. 

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast  and you can read other stories and reach out to me through 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/

To honour what would have been the 60th Birthday of the late Diana, Princess of Wales,  William and Harry unite at the unveiling of a statue in honour of their mother.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, and Harry and Archie and Lili and don't forget to rate and to subscribe to my podcast!

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/

Media outlets this past week were bombarding us all with a constant stream of negative "news" about Meghan & Harry.  Bucking this negative trend,  I am using this episode to recap on just a few of the many positive things that Meghan and Harry have done in the service of others during the first half of 2021.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie, and Lili.

You can read other stories and reach out to me through 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/

MacKenzie Scott, author and the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos continues to donate the income generated from assets that she received as part of her divorce settlement to non-profit organizations. In 2020 Ms. Scott announced nearly $6 billion in gifts to some 500 non-profits; this past week MacKenzie gave another $2.7 billion to 286 groups around the world, working in the areas of  racial inequality, the arts and education. 

Two of the organizations that are benefitting from Ms. Scott donations are US based Homeboy Industries and African based mothers2mothers, both of whom Meghan and Harry have supported in the recent past.

I will tell you more about these two organizations and about their reactions to receiving generous gifts from MacKenzie Scott and her husband Dan Jewett.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry, Archie, and Lili. You can read other stories and reach out to me through 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/

After he was born in 2019,  one of the first photos of Archie that Meghan & Harry released was on Mother’s Day.  Posted on their old Instagram account Sussex Royal,  it showed Archie’s feet in Meghan’s hands,  against a backdrop of forget-me-not flowers.  That was Meghan’s first Mother’s Day and whilst this year is not Harry’ first Father’s Day,  I for one am hoping that Meghan and Harry reveal a little photo of both Archie and Lili. 

Meghan has already given one Father’s Day tribute to Harry by way of her book, The Bench.  This is a book written to honour all fathers of sons.  I think it would make a good Father’s Day gift to a father of a baby or young son.  And if you are buying the book chuck in a garden bench to go with it. 

The book is illustrated by Christian Robinson. The pictures are soft and easy on the eye whilst still giving readers lots to chat about with children as they turn the pages.  Meghan and Harry have posted on their Archewell website what they call a conversation with Christian Robinson.  A questions and answers session where we get to read a bit more about Christian’s own background and hear what motivates him to do the work that he does. 

Spoiler alert. I do read Meghan's book The Bench during this podcast. The story is a gentle one.  At a push you can actually make the story work for baby girls too.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry and Archie and Lili. You can reach me through 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/

Baby Lili is not yet a week old and already the media are gunning for bad news to spew about her. If this is how Lili’s life is to be from now on,  this poor little child doesn’t stand a chance. 

So what is the drama. The fuss is over Meghan and Harry’s decision to give their daughter the first name Lilibet a nickname also used for the Queen by close family members.

When the announcement of Lili’s birth was made by Meghan and Harry on June 6th the whole world was cooing about how lovely it was,  for Meghan and Harry to have honoured the Queen by choosing Lilibet as their baby girl’s first name and Diana as the middle name. There was a day of grace when it seemed that hardly anyone had anything bad to say about Meghan and Harry. 

Harry’s Royal relatives were very happy for Meghan, Happy and Archie, with Kate and William and Princess Eugenie posting their well wishes on social media and even on the Queen’s twitter account. The choice of name was acknowledged in the Queen’s message saying “Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet Diana! The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news.” 

By then end of Friday the media claws started coming back out. True to form,  it was the UK Daily Mail newspaper who in their June 6th article written by Royal Commentator Richard Kay, first sewed a seed of doubt as to whether Meghan and Harry had sought the Queen’s permission prior to naming their daughter Lilibet.  In his article, Mr. Kay throws in the little hint of controversy when he writes “Such is the closeness between grandmother and grandson many will assume Harry must have sought her permission to use such a private name.”

This one sentence then set off a tsunami of media reports all now outright alledging either (1) that Harry did not seek the Queen’s permission prior to naming his daughter Lilibet or (2) Prince Harry presented his request in such a way that the Queen had no choice but to agree. 

The story continued to grow and grow. Things really heated up when Jonny Dymond,  the Royal correspondent for the BBC news,  wrote an article saying  that according to unnamed Palace sources, the Queen was not asked by Meghan and Harry about naming their daughter Lilibet.

Meghan and Harry brought in their official spokespeople & a statement was issued to say:  “The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement,  in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called,” .. “During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”

Sadly now the lawyers are all involved with law firm Schillings, which acts for Harry and Meghan, reportedly saying that the BBC report that the Queen was not asked for permission to use the name Lilibet was false and defamatory and should not be repeated

And Lili is not yet 7 days old at this point. 

And what of Mr. Kay at the Daily Mail the man whose comment started off the whole ruckus. Well in his article today he asks is there nothing Harry and Meghan do that doesn't involve a row? Mr. Kay adds how desperately sad that even something so uplifting as the birth of their new baby is accompanied by thundering controversy. 

So there we have it Mr. Kay blames Harry for creating the storm when Harry is merely reacting to the storm that Mr. Kay  helped cause. And that folks is how sneaky the UK press are.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all thing

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/

Many congratulations to Meghan, Harry, and Archie on the safe arrival of baby Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.  I am so very pleased to hear of the safe arrival of Archie’s sister Lili who was born on the morning of Friday June 4th, 2021, at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California.

Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her late grandmother, the Princess of Wales. We are told Lili weighed in at 7 lbs 11 oz. 

Meghan and Harry posted an announcement of the birth of Lili on their Archewell website https://archewell.com/news/congratulations-to-the-duke-and-duchess-of-sussex/ and included a message of thanks saying. 

“On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”

In lieu of sending gifts, Meghan and Harry are asking for people to consider giving support to organizations working for women and girls: naming Girls Inc., Harvest Home, CAMFED or Myna Mahila Foundation.

The hospital where baby Lili was born has a history in keeping with Meghan and Harry’s ideals. The Santa Barbara Cottage Health was founded in 1888 when a group of 50 Santa Barbara women recognized it was time for the growing community to have a hospital. The hospital is organized as a not-for-profit facility dedicated to the well-being and good health of all residents, regardless ability to pay.

Will Lili have the honour of having a flower or plant named for her? Horticulturists in the UK have a long tradition of breeding plant or flower specimens in honour of members of the Royal Family.  The UK’s Royal Horticultural Society,  of which Queen Elizabeth is patron,  often at their Annual Chelsea Flower Show, reveal a new plant of flower specimen and name it in honour of one of the Royals. This tradition goes back to at least the reign of Queen Victoria.

During her time in the UK Meghan was also honoured by the UK Royal Horticultural Society with a flower in her name.  Clematis 'Meghan'  is described as an exquisite large-flowering clematis, usually offer two flowering seasons each year - the first being the most prolific in late spring or early summer (around the time of their wedding), but then again in early autumn. The flowers on the climbing plant are described as being a rich and opulent magenta-purple, something that will really make an impact when planted in borders.

The adorable Archie was also honoured, this time by a private grower called Chrysanthemums Direct.  According to an article published in the UK Town and Country Magazine, Chrysanthemums were the flower chosen by Queen and Prince Phillip to adorn Westminster Abbey on their wedding day in 1947, and now it has become tradition for every new member of the royal family to have a variety named after them. Chrysanthemum ‘Archie Harrison’ is a vibrant lemon-yellow colour and was selected before his birth, explaining the fact that the colour is gender neutral.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry and Archie. You can reach out to me through 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/

I am on my soap box this episode about people whose favourite sport is slamming Meghan and Harry. This week the UK Conservative Member of Parliament Andrew Rosindell  told the UK Daily Express newspaper that Harry and Meghan should be starved of oxygen.  Also this week,  author Lady Colin Campbell stuck her talons into Prince Harry, starting an  on-line petition seeking to have his Royal 'styles, titles,  and rank put into abeyance.'

Who is Lady Colin Campbell or Lady C. as she likes to be known?

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

You can email me at [email protected]

Check out other stories of 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/

I watched the town hall follow-up to Harry's and Oprah's  Apple+ TV Series,  The Me You Can't See - A Path Forward.  This free to watch episode features members from the advisory board behind the series,  as well some of the people who stories feature in the actual series, and Harry and Oprah talk about what comes next.

These are 6 of the many things that I learned from the town hall episode:

1.  The Me We Can’t See series was two years in the making. Harry and Oprah said that their advisory board reviewed each episode for accuracy, appropriate language and to ensure that best practices were used.  Harry and Oprah wanted to get it right. Harry also felt it was important to have a global perspective.

2. Oprah and Harry expressed their hopes from the series as including.

• Empowering people to talk about their mental health and their emotional well being.
• A recognition that physical health and mental health should be seen as equally important – as part of our general Health.
• To try and create a more supportive culture where people are more understanding and compassionate to one another.
• To let people with mental heath issues know they are not alone. That mental health is not a 'they' problem but a 'we' issue.
• To try and remove stigma around mental health. 

3.  Stigma and its effects, was discussed at various points during this episode.

4.  A good deal of time was spent discussing how best to service people with mental health    conditions and the services or lack of services available. 

5. There was a lengthy discussion on suicide and suicidal ideation,  the prevalence of which has increased during the pandemic.

6.  We were told that being diagnosed with a mental health illness should not be seen as the end of the world. 

There was a general sense of hope.

Please keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry and Archie and if would like,  you can email me at [email protected]

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/