Sentebale ~ The Next Netflix Target?
The Harkles are trending with #FO HarryandMeghan and #ScamJam
The hectic week began with Harold ditching the last day of the BetterUp jolly to hop down by private jet to the Sentebale polo event in Wellington, Florida on 11 April 2024. He took part in a discussion that evening, and was due to play a charity match the next day. Cue, TW, who arrived in a rather inappropriate outfit again, complete with impractical heels and patchy self-tan. She was heard to have introduced herself by saying, ‘Hi I’m Meghan from Sentebale.’ Not quite true as unless we’ve missed it, she not a representative for Sentebale, but was a guest of Sentebale as they stated on their own website.
If TW had any sense of decorum, or manners, the correct manner would be say she was ‘with’ Sentebale as she was a guest of the patron. That is unless we have missed the announcement of her official role working for Sentebale. On the same video clip, Nacho is heard asking why the Lili child isn’t with them, but then again none of us expected the invisible children to surface and weren’t surprised.
The jaunt down to Florida was preceded by an announcement that the duo were in the process of executing their latest projects—TW, another faux lifestyle channel and Harold, using Sentebale to create a documentary on the behind the scenes in the world of polo. Basically, he is doing what he did to the Invictus Games, and using his patron status to create content for Netflix from the few charities he is still involved with. I’m not sure many polo players would like to be filmed for such a project given that they will have no control over how the content will be edited, and that it could damage their reputations and their businesses. The Sentebale charity event was effectively turned into a film set for Harold, so that he could try and create some kind of content that Netflix might be interested in. Judging from the photos, it doesn’t look as if he or the camera crew have a clue what they are trying to achieve except to look as if they are busy and creative.
I, like many have watched over the past week of their new publicised ventures and the public reactions and the media reactions. The majority of the comments (social media and editorial) have mocked the duo— in particular the sad and pathetic roll out of the #ScamJam otherwise known as the dodgy jam from TW’s American Riviera Orchard.
The limited edition jars of jam apparently arrived in a basket of lemons, numbered 1-50, and images were shared on Instagram from a few including Nacho’s wife, Tracy Robbins (Bob Marley premiere), and Diana Ross’s daughter who all posted on their 24 hour disappearing stories with hilarious taglines of how yummy and delicious the jam was.
The heart mom person did a quid pro quo and posted it on her Instagram, followed by images of TW and Abigail Spencer hugging her and advertising the t-shirts for her charity (such a good pal who wasn't at the wedding or the baby shower). Everyone knows that Instagram posts are posed and staged, and it does look rather desperate of TW to try and use other influencers to endorse her new brand.
The mocking continued, and Nacho joined in with a photo of him stuffing his face with some bread and jam a few days later, again tagging ARO, affectionally known as Another Rip Off by some. It appears the jam was a copycat version of the jam sold at Highgrove, containing strawberries and lemon juice, hence the lemons in the basket. TW has a reputation for copying and fibbing.
Cory Vitiello, in an interview once gushed that his then girlfriend (Meghan Markle) had cooked him a romantic dinner for his birthday, but when he quizzed her on the dessert he was a bit suspicious when she claimed to have made it. He laughed, and shared that he had caught her out as he found the wrapper to the store bought dessert in the trash. It’s not the first time TW has fibbed about cooking something that was bought or prepared by someone else, passing it off as her own. Are we supposed to believe that TW slaved over a stove to make 50 pots of jam? Even if she did as a one off, it’s not sustainable for mass production if you want to make a profit.
Perhaps the other recipients opted not to publicly share details of the ‘gift’ that TW had hoped would give her free PR, knowing full well that they would be mocked and ridiculed by the public and press. Nacho and his wife are so rich that they don’t care, but those with careers will be concerned about their businesses and reputations and gushing over a pot of jam is simply ridiculous when the label is seen to have been peeling off.
Who else got a jar and hasn’t come forward? If Eugenie had one and publicly let it be known, she knows she’d be roasted alive, but why hasn’t Oprah or Ellen gushed about the #ScamJam? I guess it might not be suitable for diabetics or vegans, and some people simply don’t like jam.
Other hashtags appeared to have been trending including, #FOHarryandMeghan, #FOHarry, #FOMeghan, and #FOMeghanMarkle. This came after the cringeworthy trophy presentation at the polo match where Harold wasn’t even the captain, and TW went up to present the trophy for the Archewell cameras with a posed kiss. Yes, a full film crew followed their every move, and each pose was crafted for cameras as it was for Invictus. There were more faux pas, as TW refused to let a member of Sentebale stand next to Harold the patron for a photo with the trophy, and created an awkward situation forcing the member of staff to duck under the trophy after TW ordered her to move. The optics looked bad for TW, and Harold stood there looking like a lemon as people fumbled around the stage while posing with faux grins.
Behind the scenes was equally cringeworthy with Serena Williams being dragged to the match, and standing there looking like a spare part (on the right leaning on a car) while TW acted for the cameras.
Then TW played up holding hands and hugging Nacho’s daughter and Nacho’s wife holding TW’s hand and consoling her. Somehow, I doubt Delfina, the wife would have given TW even a handshake or smile if she hadn’t married Harold, and who also creates content on social media for incentives.
The duo stayed on in Florida as Harold was seen looking as if he was working as he and the film crew filmed behind the scenes at the US Open Polo Championship, following team Valiante.
He didn’t look as if he knew what he was doing, and Netflix has not announced that they are involved either, but it seems this is PR to get Netflix interested. Some say that Netflix are waiting for the contract to expire in 2025 and to be done with them to save some face.
A couple of days later on 15 April 2024, the court delivered a decision on the costs order for Harold, who had requested a 50-60% reduction in fees but was granted a minimal 10% reduction for a delay in some documents being received. We also discover that Harold breached the terms of confidentiality in the case and copied in parties who should not have been included, including Harold’s pal (Rt Hon Johnny Mercer MP) in what appears to be an attempt to gain some influence via a government official who isn’t involved in the case. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Costs-Order-Duke-of-Sussex-v-Secretary-of-State-for-Home-Department.pdf
32. The defendant prays in aid the following matter. In November 2023, the claimant (Harold) breached the terms of the confidentiality ring order by emailing certain information to a partner of Schillings, who was not within the confidentiality ring, and to the Rt Hon Johnny Mercer MP. Fortunately, the breach was almost immediately detected by Ms Fatima KC, who acted promptly to inform Ms Afia of Schillings. She in turn informed the defendant (via the Government Legal Department) as well as taking action to minimise the effects of the breach. The defendant nevertheless says that these breaches (for which the claimant has apologised) caused the defendant to incur unnecessary costs, as can be seen from the correspondence which ensued.
The public reaction against Harold increases as people have complained that they don’t want a penny of their tax money to go towards Harold’s legal fees for what many (including the judge) consider a frivolous case based on what Harold believes he is entitled to. With such a reaction from pensioners and those who are in the higher tax brackets, Harold has shown himself to be petty and egotistic when he claimed this was a partial victory, and is now seeking leave to appeal (which IMHO will not succeed). As the judge has already stated his case has no merit and failed at all the submissions made, there are no grounds for an appeal.
5. There is no merit in this “partial success” submission. As I have already said, the judicial review claim failed on all of the pleaded grounds, including grounds 6A, 6B and 6C. The fact that the court did not accept each and every submission of the defendant as to the path to take towards dismissal of the claim does not alter the fact that the claimant comprehensively lost. The case is not one where an issues-based costs order could possibly be justified. The granting of permission in respect of certain grounds has to be seen in the context that the judicial review proceeded in part on a “rolled-up” basis. The extension of time merely meant that the relevant ground fell to be considered in substance; but when it was, it failed.
He has lost his case for an application for judicial review, based on facts of law but won’t accept the decision and is wasting more public funds by pursuing an appeal. What has been revealed is that Harold has bespoke security arrangements that are publicly funded, and come into force on a case by case basis when needed, so he has protection if it is warranted.
To end the week, Harold appeared in a Travalyst video during the AGM, reading from a script and appearing to have no clue what he was on about, while wittering on about if we don’t look after communities then we’ll have nowhere to travel to. No one really cares what he thinks, and after all these years, no sane person can see the point of Travalyst.