Harry and Meghan’s social dilemma
The much-anticipated Archewell website went live this week – but it poses a social media dilemma for Harry and Meghan, writes Kerry
In her column for this week’s Sunday Telegraph in Sydney, Kerry wonders if the Duchess of Sussex has backed herself into a corner, when she compared social media users to “people who are addicted to drugs”, during Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Next Gen Virtual Summit. She said she has “not been on social media for a very long time”. But where does that leave her, now Archewell.com is live?
The pair have been vocal about their campaign for “humane tech”, telling Time magazine this week they have been working with experts including best friend Serena William’s husband and Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian, social media activist and ex-Google employee Tristan Harris and Safiya Noble, author of Algorithms of Oppression. “This is a global crisis of hate, a global crisis of misinformation and a global health crisis,” says Prince Harry.
“This isn’t just a tech problem. This isn’t solely a mental health or emotional well-being problem. This is a human problem and what’s happening to all of us online is affecting us deeply offline,” Meghan says on the Time 100 Talks video.
So what does that mean for Archewell, which went live on Wednesday? Meghan, of course, was one of the early embracers of social media – she ran her highly-successful website The Tig for years, along similar lines to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, only closing it down when she met Prince Harry. And the couple’s Sussex Royal Instagram page quickly garnered 10.6 million followers before they had to abandon it and the term “royal.”
“Now more than ever, there is this overwhelming desire … for truth,” says Harry, as the couple explain how difficult it can be to separate real and fake news. It is no better illustrated than by the fact we counted at least 55 fake Archewell Instagram pages, many with thousands of followers. How they navigate their own social media offering will be interesting.
Naughty Dominic West is perfect to play Prince Charles
Okay, so the actor’s making headlines for other reasons this week too (Dom, really), but we’re going with the exciting rumour/perfectly-timed news/inspired PR move, that the 51-year old The Affair star is reportedly in talks to play Prince Charles in the fifth and sixth seasons of The Crown. If true, this would be the most inspired piece of casting ever, because he’s ticking off several royal boxes IRL:
Dominic has also been caught in a scandal: The Wire actor kept us all entertained last week with his Roman Holiday pics with The Pursuit of Love co-star Lily James and subsequent “there’s nothing to see” photo call with landscape designer wife Catherine FitzGerald at their home in the Cotswolds.
He lives in a castle: OK, it’s not Windsor, but the couple bought his wife’s ancestral home Glin Castle in Ireland (where they wed in 2010) to keep it in the family. The 18th century castle has 15 bedrooms and is set in 400 acres of woodland. Their other homes are in the Cotswolds (here) and London’s Shepherd’s Bush (have a nosey here). Not too shabby.
He went to Eton: He is also an alumni of one of Britain’s most famous boarding schools – which boasts Princes William and Harry among its former students.
Catherine’s glossy hair secret
Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge headed to London’s Waterloo Station this week for her pandemic photography project, Hold Still, a collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery. You can see them at this online gallery.
Wrapped in a red Alexander McQueen coat and carrying a £1595 Love Letter bag by Taiwanese-British designer Grace Han, Catherine met some of the Hold Still finalists.
Call us shallow, we prefer ‘forensic’, but we couldn’t help being distracted by her super-glossy hair. Maybe it’s the ‘bronde’ highlights and autumnal shade, maybe it’s the bouncy curls, but it’s very, very, shiny. So what’s the secret? The shampoo with rumoured royal approval is Kerastase Nutritive Bain Oleo-Relax shampoo, £20.20. And according to hairstylist Amanda Cook Tucker she uses Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom, £20 and good old L'Oreal Paris Elnett hairspray, from £3.95. A couple of years ago, Amanda committed an Instagram faux pas by posting these products on a trip with the Duchess. She later deleted the account. Oh Amanda, we feel your pain.
How the royal kids spend Halloween
Next weekend will be Archie’s first US Halloween, so no doubt Harry and Meghan are readying his pumpkin costume and candy – although it’s unlikely they’ll be knocking on anyone’s doors in the neighbourhood. Back in the UK, where October 31st isn’t quite as spooktacular, the Cambridges are thought to be preparing for a Halloween party, lockdown-style. Last year George and Charlotte were spotted shopping for spooky trinkets near Anmer Hall in Norfolk, where they typically spend half-term and Charlotte reportedly chose a Disney costume to wear, which is proof even princesses like to dress up as… princesses. George, meanwhile, was said to have gone as a policeman. This year, we wonder if Charlotte will plump for a Frozen 2 Elsa gown, which she could always accessorize with one of her mum’s tiaras.
You can holiday at Balmoral
It’s half term here in the UK and we don’t know about you, but all through the pandemic, we’ve been longing to head for the hills of Scotland - when they’re out of lockdown. Not many people know, you can actually holiday on the Balmoral Estate, like the Queen. You can take a tour around Balmoral, The Queen’s Scottish holiday home, when HRH is not in residence and rent a holiday cottage on the estate. Tartan to the ready: click here.