The Divided State of Europe

nivek

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The King and Queen, behind the scenes: Buckingham Palace releases intimate pictures of the royals revealing extraordinary detail of Charles' Coronation (and Camilla's touching embroidery tribute to her beloved Jack Russells)

Stunning official photographs show newly-crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla wave to
Buckingham Palace tonight released a series of official images to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla. The pictures show the couple, dressed in their regalia, smiling together and looking out onto The Mall from the Palace balcony. One shot features them waving to the tens of thousands of cheering Royal fans, while another depicts the magnificent Red Arrows flypast. The newly-crowned King and Queen earlier enjoyed an 'informal' late lunch with their family and will have official portraits taken after their appearance on the balcony with a select group of senior royals.

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nivek

As Above So Below

Newly-crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla take center-stage on balcony between heir to the throne Prince William, the Princess of Wales and their children as adoring crowds below cheer the slimmed-down Monarchy


The newly crowned King and Queen have appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony with a select group of senior royals as The Mall was swamped by tens of thousands of cheering supporters. The royal couple waved to gargantuan crowds before a RAF flypast, which had to be scaled back to just helicopters and the Red Arrows because of the heavy rain in London. The Mall was a sea of people, many of whom sprinted to get close to the Palace and catch a glimpse of the King and Queen following their historic coronation watched by 100million people on TV worldwide. Charles and Camilla were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, their children, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne. Once again Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte stole the show with some enthusiastic waving and pointing as the jets flew over the Palace to roars. But their uncle Prince Harry decided against going back to Buckingham Palace and was driven straight to Heathrow Airport to jet home after a 24-hour stay in the UK to get back to California on his son Archie's fourth birthday today.

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nivek

As Above So Below

Long live the King! Britain holds one big party to celebrate Charles' Coronation as they raise glasses of Pimms and Champagne to the new Monarch on mile-long tables and streets decked out in bunting

Britain holds big party for King Charles' Coronation as glasses of Pimm's and Champagne
Britons are holding one big party across the UK to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III as they raise glasses of Pimms and Champagne at mile-long tables on streets lined with bunting. Royal fans across the country have shared pictures of British flag-decked tables as communities come together to honour the historic event with fancy cakes and quiches. Guests have also filled Downing Street for the lunch, and there was a hum of excited chatter as those invited - including volunteers, Ukrainian refugees and youth group members - sipped fruit drinks and took photos in front of the famous Number 10 door as they awaited the arrival of Rishi Sunak.

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nivek

As Above So Below

King Charles hails the outpouring of celebration for his Coronation as 'the greatest possible gift' in heartfelt message as Palace releases the official portraits unveiling his new slimmed-down monarchy

King Charles hails the outpouring of celebration for his Coronation as 'the greatest
King Charles III (left; centre left of middle photo) has hailed the outpouring of celebration for his Coronation as 'the greatest possible gift' as he expressed his 'heartfelt thanks' to the nation for making it 'such a special occasion'. This came as the first official portraits of the event were released, unveiling the King's new 'slimmed down' monarchy. The King and Queen (top right; centre right of middle photo) pledged to rededicate their lives to service as Charles expressed gratitude for the nation's support throughout the historic celebrations, and as the weekend of festivities draw to a close he issued a written message (bottom right), saying: 'We thank you, each and every one.' He said: 'As the Coronation weekend draws to a close, my wife and I just wanted to share our most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those who have helped to make this such a special occasion. We pay particular tribute to the countless people who have given their time and dedication to ensuring that the celebrations in London, Windsor and further afield were as happy, safe and enjoyable as possible.'

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nivek

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You're not OUR royal, Harry is told: US picture agency in 'car chase' storm says the Sussexes can't just demand to see the photos they took, in legal tit-for-tat

An American photo agency has dismissed a demand by Harry and Meghan to hand over pictures from what they claimed was a 'near catastrophic' car chase with paparazzi in New York this week.

Backgrid USA reportedly said the prince's 'English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago'.

The agency has confirmed it received photos and footage from four freelance photographers – three of whom were in cars and one riding a bicycle – taken on Tuesday night.

But it has rejected claims by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of a 'near catastrophic' car chase through Manhattan's Upper East Side after the couple appeared at an awards ceremony.

The US gossip website TMZ on Thursday published details of the legal tit-for-tat, including part of a letter sent to Backgrid by the Sussexes' lawyers.

It reportedly read: 'We hereby demand that Backgrid immediately provide us with copies of all photos, videos, and/or films taken last night by the freelance photographers after the couple left their event and over the next several hours.'

They are also pushing the New York Police Department to investigate, according to reports. The Mail has sought comment from the Sussexes' legal team in the UK.

Backgrid firmly rejected the request to hand over footage. TMZ carried an excerpt from the agency's legal response, which said: 'In America, as I'm sure you know, property belongs to the owner of it. Third parties cannot just demand it be given to them.

'Perhaps you should sit down with your client and advise them that his English rules of royal prerogative to demand that the citizenry hand over their property to the Crown were rejected by this country long ago.'

Backgrid added: 'We stand by our founding fathers.'

The agency said it had launched its own investigation as it did not 'condone any form of harassment or illegal activity'. But it has also said the photographers on Tuesday night 'had no intention of causing any distress or harm, as their only tool was their cameras'.


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nivek

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US government will appear in court over Prince Harry's visa application after his drug revelations in memoir

The US government will appear in a federal court next Tuesday to answer questions regarding Prince Harry's visa application after he admitted using illegal drugs.

The Heritage Foundation, a Washington DC-based conservative think-tank, is suing Joe Biden's administration to force officials to release the Duke of Sussex's immigration files.

The organisation wants to know how the prince managed to get into the US, considering he subsequently confessed in his bombshell memoir Spare to taking cocaine, cannabis and magic mushrooms.

The Heritage Foundation has said its case will be held in front of a federal judge on June 6 at 2.30pm in courtroom 17 of the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The US government will also be represented.

The news was revealed by Nile Gardner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Centre for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, who also said it would be open to the press.

A decision to unseal immigration records could have implications for Harry's status in the US given an admission of drug use can see a visa application rejected.

The Heritage Foundation is aiming to establish whether the duke's drug revelations in Spare were also mentioned in his visa application.

US officials can stop foreigners who have committed drugs offences entering the country even if they have never been arrested and charged.

Under US rules, suspected drug abusers applying for a visa may be required to answer additional medical history questions and also take a medical exam to prove that they are not still a drug abuser before being allowed to enter the country.

In high-profile cases where celebrities who are known to have taken drugs want to come to America, they have been invited into the US embassy in London to take a drugs test.

Musician Pete Doherty was famously banned from the US due to drug-related arrests. In 2014 TV cook Nigella Lawson was banned from flying to the US after she confessed to taking drugs.


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Dejan Corovic

As above, so bellow
It was early last year when I was first reading in depth about Catalonia and it's desire for independence, I knew there would be bloody violence during my research last year, Spain needs Catalonia more than Catalonia needs Spain...I for one am all for them gaining the independence they deserve, after all, they are an occupied territory and not legitimately part of Spain...Catalonia is a rich region too and helps support the poorer regions of Spain...

There's other regions who are seeking independence, France, Italy, Britian amongst other EU countries are facing separatist movements and referendums for independence...Are we going to see similar violence of resistance to this call for independence as we've seen in Spain and Catalonia?...Perhaps if these centralized socialist governments had governed more balanced and fairly to all regions and protected their people's interest more we would not see so much division in Europe...

Here's a short list of calls for independence:



The divided states of Europe: Independence movements across the continent

Independence is delusional. Small nations don't matter. There should be one nation per continent. EU can't decide on which leg to stand without US telling it so. Whole idea of nations belongs to 19th century.

Would US put man on the Moon if it was just one state?
 
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AD1184

Celestial
There would be no Catalonian independence movement without the EU. In that case you have two federations (the country of Spain, and the EU) vying for the same territory (Catalonia), which leads to tension. The existence of the EU has led to many such secessionary movements in smaller territories of the larger nations. In Britain, there is (or perhaps now, was) the Scottish independence movement, and to a lesser extent a Welsh one.

Some believed that Brexit would greatly increase the risk of Scotland going independent, and I think that was true, but only in the immediate short-term, while Scotland was still seething from the referendum result. In the long-term, I believe it will reduce the likelihood of Scotland becoming independent. Post-Brexit, we are now seeing the Scottish National Party implode. Is that a mere coincidence? As long as Britain was in the EU, the Scottish nationalist movement could sell the idea of Scotland being an independent member of the EU. Post-Brexit, even if the option was available (there are some doubters, as it would require the assent of countries such as Spain, who have their own secessionary struggles) such a move would place a hard border between Scotland and England. Scotland has an economic dependency on England that dwarfs Britain's on the EU. So if a 'hard Brexit' was an economic catastrophe for Britain, what would it do for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom and join the EU?

Of course, independence is a bit of a misnomer, as true independence is not available, nor sought. In each of these movements, they simply want to change their dependence relationship with the EU. The leaders of the movements gain by receiving elevated status and possibly income, while not taking on additional significant responsibility as would be required for truly independent countries. The desire for power and status without responsibility rather sums up the politics of our age. I believe this is one of the major drivers of enthusiasm for supranational entities such as the EU.
 

nivek

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Prince Harry could be DENIED entry to the US by any border guard who has read his admission of drug taking in Spare, claims legal expert

Prince Harry could be denied re-entry to the US by any border official who was aware of his drug-taking admissions in his autobiography, legal experts have claimed.

The border officials could grill him on the admissions if he failed to declare it on his visa application form.

It means the Duke of Sussex could be stopped from returning to the US next month after his trip to London as he sues Mirror Group Newspapers over allegations of phone hacking.

The revelations come after it emerged the US government will appear in a federal court next Tuesday to answer questions regarding Harry's visa application after he admitted taking cocaine, cannabis and magic mushrooms.

Washington DC-based think tank The Heritage Foundation is suing Joe Biden's administration to force officials into releasing the Duke's immigration files.


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nivek

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Pentagon 'leaker' Jack Teixeira shared file claiming CIA had details of a Ukrainian military plan to blow up the Nord Stream pipeline with a small team of divers - three months BEFORE the attack

Accused Pentagon leaker Jack Teixiera allegedly shared a file in his bombshell data dump that claimed the CIA knew about a Ukrainian military plot to blow up the Nord Stream pipeline.

It is alleged that the Biden administration learned of the plan three months before the pipeline was attacked on September 26, 2022.

The document, first reported by the Washington Post, stated plans to deploy a covert team of divers enlisted by the Ukrainian military to target the pipeline.

In the September incident, a series of bombs blew up a pipeline system in the Baltic Sea that was majority controlled by Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom.

Investigations into the attack have been ongoing for months, but no definitive perpetrator has yet been found.


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nivek

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Lawyers for Biden administration try to keep Prince Harry's visa PRIVATE as think tank looks to speed up release of application and show whether he lied about taking drugs

The global media circus that surrounds Prince Harry should force the Biden administration to hand over his U.S. immigration records, a federal court has heard.

Attorneys for the conservative Heritage Foundation think-tank are trying to find out if Harry lied about his past drug use on his visa application when he entered the United States in 2020.

They clashed with U.S. government lawyers at a 75-minute hearing in Washington D.C. earlier on Tuesday.

Heritage had sued the Department for Homeland Security in a bid to fast-track their request to put the Duke of Sussex's visa application into the public domain.


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nivek

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Prince Harry tells judge he is not aware of ANY evidence he was hacked by UK tabloid - but insists it would be an 'injustice' if he lost his case against them - as he finishes his second day on the stand

Prince Harry today admitted to a judge he was not aware of 'any evidence' he had been hacked by a tabloid news group. But he said it would be an 'injustice' if he was denied victory in his High Court phone-hacking case against the publisher of the Mirror. Andrew Green KC, for Mirror Group Newspapers, put it to the prince that he was 'in the land of total speculation' and there were no phonecall records to back up his allegations. During Harry's second day in the witness box at the Rolls Building, Mr Green asked him: 'Are you aware of any evidence that gives any indication whatsoever as to the extent to which you were hacked, if at all?' The fifth in line to the throne replied: 'No. That's part of the reason why I'm here, my lord.'

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AD1184

Celestial

Prince Harry tells judge he is not aware of ANY evidence he was hacked by UK tabloid - but insists it would be an 'injustice' if he lost his case against them - as he finishes his second day on the stand

Prince Harry today admitted to a judge he was not aware of 'any evidence' he had been hacked by a tabloid news group. But he said it would be an 'injustice' if he was denied victory in his High Court phone-hacking case against the publisher of the Mirror. Andrew Green KC, for Mirror Group Newspapers, put it to the prince that he was 'in the land of total speculation' and there were no phonecall records to back up his allegations. During Harry's second day in the witness box at the Rolls Building, Mr Green asked him: 'Are you aware of any evidence that gives any indication whatsoever as to the extent to which you were hacked, if at all?' The fifth in line to the throne replied: 'No. That's part of the reason why I'm here, my lord.'
The man is a notorious dim-bulb, and it is unsurprising that he should be so clueless as to not realize that if you bring a court case against someone, that you need to produce evidence as to why the court ought to find in your favour.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

Courtroom disaster pits Prince Harry against himself

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have worked hard to exhaust every venue, from podcast, to autobiography, to Netflix in their efforts to define themselves as victims and to defame the royal family. On Tuesday, the prince tried a new one: a British courtroom.

They are a couple who take themselves deadly seriously, but previously have been able to set some rules and choose sympathetic (and less than rigorous) interviewers. This drama is different because it subjects their claims to disciplined legal examination in an environment that they cannot control.

It's likely to be a whole lot more grueling under examination by "a beast in court." That’s how Andrew Green KC (or King’s Counsel) has been described in UK attorney ranking, "Legal500" Look out now for a new level of humiliation.

Harry's claim is that a series of articles written between 1996 and 2010 by the Mirror Group included unlawful information-gathering practices, most notably, phone hacking.

Things haven't started well in his efforts to substantiate that. Already, on day one, the embattled prince outdid himself, admitting contradictions between his memoir and his evidence.

In his pursuit of victimhood and further attention, he got more than he bargained for.

Harry is proving the rule observed by the royal family that keeping out of politics and courtroom is by far the safest approach. This has always made good practical sense, allowing the public to feel that the monarch might not differ from their point of view.

Victorian-era prime minister Benjamin Disraeli is said to have coined the phrase "never complain, never explain," that succinctly describes the late queen's approach. Would that her grandson could understand the good sense in it.

In similar vein, the royal family has gone out of its way to avoid the inside of courtrooms. The last time a member of the close family gave evidence was over 130 years ago when Queen Victoria’s son (subsequently Edward VII) was drawn into an illegal gambling scandal.


It was reported that in this court case, "the sight of the heir to the throne being cross-examined caused substantial damage to the future king’s reputation — and royal courtiers with long memories have since done their best to keep royals out of the courtroom."

Prince Harry and his wife’s calculating attempts to cause reputational damage to his family have backfired consistently. If he had avoided this path, it might have spared him further negative scrutiny.

Things started off with a bang Monday as the trial judge, Justice Timothy Fancourt expressed dismay and "a little surprise," that Harry chose to skip the first day’s proceedings entirely, allegedly delayed by daughter Lilibet’s birthday.

When the star witness finally arrived Tuesday, his testimony defamed his whole nation: "Our country is judged globally by the state of our press and our government — both of which I believe are at rock bottom. Democracy fails when your press fails to scrutinize and hold the government accountable, and instead choose to get into bed with them so they can ensure the status quo."

These words are particularly shocking, coming from a prince whose ancestral line has striven for over 1,000 years to uphold and champion the nation it has served.

Harry emerged from the proceedings, battered and on the defensive. In the course of the questioning, he had to admit, not only that he had sparse evidence to back up his claims, but that some of his court allegations contradicted what he expressed in his autobiography, "Spare."

Oprah had been a pushover in her 2021 interview of the Sussexes compared to Green. By pursuing this litigation Harry inherited a far-less forgiving inquisitor.

Harry and Meghan never disappoint when it comes to courting trouble. They have complained about suffering endlessly from media intrusion. But, that’s exactly what they have done to Harry’s family.

To make it even more unfair, Harry Is free to pursue legal action because he withdrew from royal life, while the family he sold personal information about cannot defend themselves.

Much has been lampooned by the likes of "South Park" and Chris Rock, but in the end, we are witnessing the tragedy of a deeply unhappy troubled man who blames everyone but himself for his failures owing to his own bad decisions.


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nivek

As Above So Below

Bill Simmons rips Prince Harry and Meghan, calls them 'grifters' after abrupt end to Spotify podcast deal

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, have become the latest big names to depart Spotify's popular podcast platform.

The couple's lucrative deal has come to an end, with both parties confirming the split in a joint statement Thursday

"Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together," the two parties said in a joint statement.

Archewell Audio is a production company created by the Sussexes.

Bill Simmons' platform, The Ringer, is owned by Spotify, and he is Spotify's head of global sports content. He did not hold back when he voiced his displeasure about the royal couple's exit from the platform.

On a recent episode of his "The Bill Simmons Podcast," he called Harry and Meghan "fucking grifters" and alluded to an incident he had with Harry on Zoom when they apparently brainstormed podcast ideas.

"'The fucking grifters.' That’s the podcast we shoulda launched with them. I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry to try and help him with a podcast idea. It’s one of my best stories," Simmons said.

Simmons has a history of ripping Harry, even when they were both a part of the same company. In January, he unleashed on Harry, saying he was "so embarrassed" he had to "share Spotify with him."


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nivek

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The f***ing grifters' - three shattering words that MUST make the Duke and Duchess of Delusion realize their Land Of Make Believe is crashing down before their very eyes

MEGHAN MCCAIN: Harry and Meghan's Land Of Make Believe is crashing down before their very

It feels like a watershed moment - doesn't it? 'The f***ing grifters!' Three bombshell words that must surely have brought the Land Of Make Believe crashing down before their very eyes. Because, for the Duke and Duchess of Delusion, this can only go one way now. And here's a clue: it's not towards global domination. Yes, American Sports supremo Bill Simmons has been openly critical of Harry and Meghan before. But this time, he's also speaking in his commercial role as a Spotify's Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization. '"The f***ing grifters". That's the podcast we should have launched with them,' Simmons said in an episode of his own podcast on Friday, following the news that Spotify have exited their $20 million deal with Harry and Meghan.

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nivek

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Royal courtiers thought the Sussexes were 'entitled, lazy and afraid of hard work'. Now Spotify bosses have reached the same conclusion and shown Harry he won't be paid millions simply for being an arrogant prince

Spotify executive Bill Simmons' damning verdict of Harry and Meghan as 'f***ing grifters' as the streaming giant pulled the plug on the couple's astronomically disastrous $20 million podcast deal has come as no surprise to anyone working within the British Royal Family. While the uniquely American term, meaning someone who engages in small-scale swindling, was never used by courtiers during the three painful years the Sussexes were officially part of the monarchy, similar words were, as the pair found ways to blame everyone but themselves for their perceived lack of success. 'Entitled', 'rude', 'lazy', 'delusional' and 'afraid of hard work' were some that popped up between members of the 'Sussex Survivors Club' regularly, as H&M looked for spurious reasons to get out of public service commitments that they didn't think benefited them.

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nivek

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New business blow for Meghan and Harry as US officials REFUSE to grant the Archetypes patents - barely a week after $20million Spotify deal was ditched

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have had a trademark application for their podcast name rejected, records show.

The couple had their application for exclusive rights to 'Archetypes' - the name chosen by Meghan for their podcast - refused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office because of the 'likelihood of confusion' with an existing brand.

They sought exclusive use of the name in categories like 'downloadable audio recordings and podcasts' for anything concerning the 'cultural treatment of women and stereotypes facing women'.

But it was refused due to an existing trademark by Arizonian firm Archetypes LLC, which sought exclusive use in 2015 for a series of books and articles about 'nutrition, fitness, sexuality, psychological self-improvement' and more.

The couple's lawyer, Marjorie Witter Norman, of Los Angeles firm Willkie, Farr & Gallagher, has applied for another three months in which to finesse the Archetypes application.

They also both failed to sign their own application to the regulatory body, records show.

Meghan made the same mistake last year when she applied to reactivate 'The Tig' trademark — the name she favoured for the lifestyle blog she wrote before marrying Harry.

It comes after it was announced the Spotify podcast Archetypes would not be renewed for a second season as as the audio company begins to make changes and revamp its output.


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nivek

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'No one cared about Meghan's race. She and Harry had a golden chance to make things different for millions and chose not to - that's unforgivable': Sir Trevor Phillips says Britain is NOT racist

Today is Windrush Day — 75 years since 800 immigrants from the Caribbean stepped off HMT Empire Windrush to feel the chill of Tilbury Docks, the gloom of London’s grey skies and an uncertain, often hostile, reception.

But Britain has come a very long way since 1948. And according to Sir Trevor Phillips, writer, businessman and former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, we have plenty to celebrate.

‘Most people would agree that we are not a racist society. We are the most welcoming country in Europe and most of the world,’ he says.

‘Britain is not perfect, but it is a very different country to the place I was born into. Very different even to the country I became an adult in, even, because everything has changed.’

Three-quarters of a century after Windrush, Britain has embraced a multi-racial society. We don’t care what colour someone’s skin is. We don’t give a fig about interracial marriages. One in six of us has a foreign-born parent.


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nivek

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'Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent': Hollywood talent agency supremo Jeremy Zimmer dismisses Duchess as a talentless broadcaster after Spotify axed its $22m deal with the Sussexes

The Duchess of Sussex has been dismissed as a talentless broadcaster by one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures.

Jeremy Zimmer, who has guided the film careers of stars such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Damian Lewis, gave his withering verdict on the abilities of the American former actress after streaming giant Spotify axed its £18million deal with her and Prince Harry after just one podcast series.

Zimmer, the chief executive of United Talent Agency, said he was not surprised that Spotify had ditched the couple.

‘Turns out Meghan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent,’ he said.

Speaking to the news website Semafor at the Cannes Lions advertising festival in France, Zimmer added. ‘And, you know, just because you’re famous, doesn’t make you great at something.’


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