THE milestone birthdays of Meghan Markle and Barack Obama attracted comment from the newspapers - and Prince Harry’s announcement of his new book.
The Daily Mail
Sarah Vine said the image of Meghan in her Californian home - complete with Hermes throw and a vase of velvety white roses - was enviable.
“Turning 40 is a significant birthday in any woman’s life but, this being Meghan, it had to, of course, be a SIGNIFICANT significant birthday,” she said. “She can’t just celebrate like everyone else, throw a party and knock back a few proseccos. It has to be an opportunity to reach out to the world and, crucially, to enhance the all-important, ever-expanding Brand Sussex. Forty women, 40 minutes of compassion and caring, 40 chances to help the needy and the disadvantaged.”
She said the idea in itself wasn’t a bad one but ‘the problem is, this is Meghan.’
“However much I try, however much I want to believe she’s genuine, and that she is only doing this for the sisters, I’m afraid the snake of cynicism uncoils itself out of shot and whispers: ‘This is a masterclass in image management.’”
The Daily Express
Paul Baldwin asked who wants to waste any part of their life absorbing the ‘self-obsessed whining of an over-privileged, and deeply misguided, born-again wokester rubbing our noses in how a poor Prince somehow managed to cling on to his sanity simply by marrying a very rich, beautiful actress and living a fabulously wealthy life in a community of American billionaires?’ after Prince Harry announced plans to pen his own autobiography.
“Harry mate, reality check, I’m sorry to have to inform you that you have almost nothing in common with any other living soul on planet Earth,” he said. “When you were a full and loyal part of the Royal Family you were properly loved and respected - because you were more, far more, than a mere celebrity. Now you and Meghan look awfully like two common or garden celebs with a definite sell-by date scrambling desperately around for money you don’t actually need.”
The Independent
Stephen Lyons said Barack Obama had planned to mark his 60th with a guest list of 475’ special folks’, a performance by Pearl Jam and 200 staff to attend to all their celebrity needs - but now plans to scale it back to close family and friends.
“This little gala, we were assured, would in no way resemble one of those super-spreader events such as those knuckle-dragging Republicans hold. The Obamas — who always do the right, woke Democratic thing — had hired a Covid coordinator to make darn sure that glitterati like George Clooney, Steven Spielberg and Oprah would be safe. I hold the Obamas to a higher standard than, let’s say, Jeff Bezos. I expect them not to act like every other multi-millionaire. “
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