Royal Ascot (pronounced "Ascut") is more than just fabulous horse racing, it is a fashion spectacle. Royal Ascot expands five days, from Tuesday 19th to Saturday 23rd June. 

Whilst most British society events have an "implied" dress code, unless specifically written into the invitation, Royal Ascot mandates their style guide to every patron, regardless of which enclosure they are assigned. This is to ensure the uniformity of presence and to maintain their high social standards. The dress code does update from time to time to reflect the modernisation of fashion. Last year, they allowed the jumpsuits for the first time. 

The high society culture in Britain is about "fitting in" and they rarely like change. It is a social class structure that is MORE about BREEDING than it is about money. In America, money can buy you not only a Penthouse in Manhattan, but "social" acceptance. In Britain, money might buy you a title, but it cannot buy you social acceptance or even membership to the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot. Regardless of breeding, you may put forth your best appearance with a bespoke morning dress from Saville Row, but if you have no social graces, all your efforts were for naught.

Most Americans who were not educated within a certain class structure or do not understand cultural mores of a certain social group will have a difficult time "fitting in" to this world. For this reason, I would highly recommend training in proper etiquette, as if you were meeting The Duchess of Cambridge. The chances of meeting a member of the Royal family is greater when attending these high society social events. Americans do not necessarily have to curtsey to Royals, but they should know the appropriate greeting to offer.

In addition to proper table manners, one should completely eliminate the fashion faux pas mainly associated with novices making their entrance into British high society. Whilst I am no "fashion police," I do cringe at "noteworthy" fashion "misses" in CERTAIN social settings. It is always best to "check yourself, before you reck yourself." Prior to an outing, please do read the fine print of the invite. It is also perfectly fine to consult a "reputable" stylist. The culture of the "elites" in Britain is all about "fitting in" and "uniformity." A square peg in a round hole just would not do.

Argument FOR and AGAINST Meghan Markle’s attire at Trooping the Colour ceremony.

​I recently came across a tweet in which I did not agree with the argument. Thus, I had laid my own claim as a rebuttal. The response I received was more than “venomous” to say the least. The User characterised me as a “pathetic hater” and called our website “trashy.” She later denied having said this, when the EVIDENCE was clearly against THAT claim.

The world is a melting pot or salad bowl of opinions; AND people have a right to argue their respective positions. We don’t all agree and it is quite fine to “agree to disagree.” Unfortunately, passions do run high amongst those who can not see past their own opinions and in turn resort to “name-calling” when an argument is presented that goes against what they believe.

Social media is an interesting vehicle that allows varied opinions to be posted without filter. It is used by many to express one’s “position” and sometimes done behind the “safety” of one’s electronic device. In this world of “make believe,” you can also call yourself whatever you wish and don masks that are not true representations of yourself. For every “Duchess Kate” Twitter handle, there are probably an equal amount of “Duchess Meghan” Twitter handle and so forth.

Most people, it appears, expound upon things they know nothing about. That is perfectly fine, since they draw from their own experiences, how they “feel” about the subject, i.e. Meghan Markle and what they “bloomin’ hell” think about the situation. 

But how should you RESPOND when you are so passionate about the subject and want everyone to see it YOUR WAY. You simply can’t. For EVERY argument, there will ALWAYS be a counter argument. That is the fact. That is LIFE. For every evidence you can find to support your argument, there are probably an equal amount of evidence to counter that argument. THAT is the basis of DEBATE.

When we argue in this manner, we remove ourselves from the subject-matter and LISTEN MORE. It is in the listening that we begin to LEARN and have a GREATER respect for differing opinions, arguments and debates.

In a rather disgusting turn of events, the husband who admits to living separately from his wife, now "spills" on her "mental health" issues. Contrast this to how other family members, including his own brother, David Spade and Ms. Valentine's niece Rachel Brosnahan remembers the fashion icon. The most "tell" signs that something was amiss in the Spade-Valentine partnership-relationship was the cryptic note Ms. Valentine left for her daughter: ​"Bea - I have always loved you. This is not your fault. Ask Daddy!"

Mr. Spade characterises his wife as someone who suffered from "depression" and "anxiety." He continued to overshare his wife's very personal journey, by writing that she was also battling "personal demons." He freely revealed that she took medication and was "working closely with her doctors to treat her disease," for the last five years. 

Of himself, he states: "There were no business problems. We loved creating our businesses together. We were co-parenting our beautiful daughter. I have yet to see any note left behind and am appalled that a private message to my daughter has been so heartlessly shared with the media."

T.E.A.M. Conclusion: You do not have to be a psychologist to know a classic "deflective," shift-the-blame to the victim statement. In his attempt to garner the public support for a "grieving" husband, Mr. Spade is airing "dirty laundry" on his wife, in a classic shifting of the blame. His attempt to make himself more than, or appear more genuine to the public, he states the love they had for each other and how they were raising their daughter together; however, he also stated "There was no business problem." Absolutely none? Then he unleashed his anger by stating how "appalled" he was about the "private" note left for his daughter that was made public. He said "I have yet to see any note left behind." Here, he tells the "audience" and readers that the note the police did find was not valid, in his view.

On 29 May 2018, ABC made it clear that they were definitely parting ways with Roseanne Barr and cancelling her sitcom reboot. In a statement by Channing Dungey, President of ABC Entertainment Group, she called Ms. Barr's Twitter statement (about Valerie Jarrett), "Abhorrent, Repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show."  

Wanda Sykes, a consulting producer, had previously tweeted she was leaving the show. Sarah Gilbert who also starred along side John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf, called Ms. Barr's comments, "Abhorrent" and added, "and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show."  Barr's own management company ICM Partners dropped her as a client. Hollywood had sent a clear message to Barr: 'You are not welcome here!'

Rosanne Barr is a "crass" showman from a bygone era where her antics included screeching of the Star-Spangled Banner, crotch holding and spitting on the ground, in the most vile display of disrespect for the National Anthem of the United States. She walked off the field to a crescendo of boos and horrified on-lookers, including President George H. W. Bush. Despite the bad press, Barr torpedoed onwards from Nazi  salute to circulating "fake news" and spreading conspiracy theories that had no basis in truth. Barr's recent "targets" included George Soros, Chelsea Clinton and Valerie Jarrett.

Rosanne Barr returned after 20 years to a world that had changed. A world that was more vocal, more aware and more empowered through social media. It was also a world that gave rise to "Black Lives Matter" and the "MeToo" movement. Whilst the world had changed, Barr had not. Instead, she found a new forum on Twitter to spread her hatred, twisted values and mangled sense of "entitlement." She must have been emboldened by the likes and retweets, because for years since starting her Twitter account in 2011, she continued to kick up the storm of controversy with her grandiose sense of self in one narcissistic rant after another. Valerie Jarrett was the "nail on her coffin."

Barr could have been a role model, but now she will forever be a footnote for racial hatred and bigotry. 

I launched The Cultural Attaché on Sunday 20 May 2018 because I was tired of seeing the SAME news reports in every media outlet. There were no fresh voices, just bland news that followed each other, with nothing relevant to say but to copy the same reports. Youtube used to be a place where the public could go to source out original stories, but it has become a cesspool of automated feeds, redundant coverages and; electronic voice overs.
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The main stream media has glorified stories, instead of investigating them. In addition, “filter bubbles” are used to filter through “sameness” whilst filtering out “differences.” Regardless of which browser you use, you end up with the same redundant information. I use one browser, in particular, with great regularity but even duckduckgo can’t seem to get past the REDUNDANT storylines. I know for a fact that there are ORIGINAL voices out there writing, blogging, vlogging and reporting, but unfortunately, it is SUCH a challenge to cut through the noise and clutter to FIND them.

I personally don't want main stream media such as CNN telling me how to think or what is important. There was a time when I could search any story online and get several different opinions about it. Now, I have to go through the myriad of pages, using different search parameters to try to get to an original story. This is what our culture has become -- one BIG REDUNDANT BOREDOM. It appears that whenever anyone has any original thought, it gets squashed or put on page 10 of a Google search.

In addition to redundancy on the internet and main stream media, social media is all about likes and retweets. Based on how many likes and retweets you receive, you might get approved by Twitter to receive that "coveted" checkmark in the blue cloud that screams, "I am verified!" I was asked to re-authentic after I wrote an exposé on this process to get Twitter verified, but I did not respond. My goal is NOT to follow the herd. I REFUSE TO BE ORDINARY.

I intend for The Cultural Attaché to be an ORIGINAL voice among the herd. My opinions might not be popular, BUT I do not expound upon things I know nothing about and yes, I have received my fair share of criticism. Some have even accused me of being unfair on my Meghan Markle coverage.

Yes, it is TRUE I don't know Meghan Markle, but neither does every other media outlet who were making "judgments" based on subjective feelings. Unlike the media's "Halo Effect," I did not have a filtered lens. In fact, I reacted like most everyone else, joyous for the happy couple when I heard of the engagement, UNITL I saw the full engagement interview.

Perhaps it was my experience as a Civil Military Operations Specialist for the U.S. Army. Maybe it was my 25 years studying human behaviour, cultural diversity and sub-cultures in communities. I also had 20 years in the entertainment industry and over 30 years working with charities, on the Boards and Foundations. I believe the sum total of my experiences gives me credibility. In any event, I just felt that there was something "off" about Meghan Markle. It was more a "gut" feeing, more than anything tangible -- that came later.

I don't just report the story, I include relevant references and sources that readers could look up for themselves. The internet is a magical place and detrimental to those who want to forget about their past. It is because, whatever you or someone puts out there can be traced, re-discovered and re-called at a later date. Even if Meghan Markle deleted her Instagram and other social media accounts, her information had already been circulated, so it was easy to retrieve. What I did discover was a series of troubling, "calculated" and self-serving decisions made by the wannabe 'Princess' to, in essence, "bag her a Prince" and become part of the British Royal Dynasty.

When it comes to the Royals, I can trace my heritage back to the 15th Century Royal court. The British Monarchy has, in my opinion, become too "Ordinary" and that is what I believe. I am not a Royalist, Monarchist or a U.K. Republican. I am a researcher and investigator more interested in the story behind the story, than the story itself. If it "smells funny" or "too good to be true," my natural instincts to "go find the truth" kicks in. Perhaps, I do not like to be blind sighted. Perhaps I just don't trust some humans. Perhaps, I am just blunt. Most likely it is because I CAN handle the TRUTH...can YOU???

Meghan Markle abandons Bogart to become Princess Diana 2.0 | Cultural faux-pas @KensingtonRoyal

Update: 9 June 2018
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It was widely reported in the press that Meghan, 'Duchess of Sussex, nee Markle left behind one of her precious furry children in Canada to live in the United Kingdom with her new husband, Prince Henry, The Duke of Sussex. Whilst her other rescue, Guy lives in royal comfort, Bogart was “mysteriously” adopted by friends of the former actress. True to form, the Duchess is keeping quiet about the whole debacle, that unleashed a firestorm on social media, asking the question, 'What happened to Bogart?'

The only comment about her dogs was a brief statement made during her engagement interview:

“I have two dogs that I’ve had for quite a long time, both my rescue pups. And one is now staying with very close friends and my other little guy is, yes, he’s in the UK, he’s been here for a while.”

In an attempt to make light of the whole situation and provide some semblance of a logical reason for leaving Bogart behind, a palace spokesperson added, “It takes a toll on an animal to travel so far across Atlantic combined with the hard, long process of getting approval. It’s in the best interest of the animal’s well-being to stay.”

As a champion of rescue animals and one who has consistently traveled with my furry babies in tow, I find the whole situation a bit murky and disingenuous. The actions of the Duchess of Sussex exacerbates the argument that perhaps she was indeed a "social climber," "calculating" and will apathetically discard that which does not promote her further welfare, including people and her furry child. Her timid response to the question of her dogs was quite revealing. Was it age, a medical condition or just fitting into a Royal lifestyle? All these are speculative, of course.

In addition to the story of Bogart is how her other rescue, Guy, broke two of his legs. All press reports indicate that this did occur, shortly after the engagement announcement, but nothing was revealed on how this occurred, only that he was being “treated.”

In 2012, the United Kingdom had relaxed their rules regarding traveling with and re-locating domestic animals into the country. In the past, long quarantine of up to six months was possible, but since the policy change a quarantine of four months would not be necessary IF travelers followed their simple rules and produced the proper documentations. It really is THAT simple, thus the remarks by the palace does not pass the truth test.

Britons love dogs and the United Kingdom is one of the dog-friendliest countries! Bogart is a mixed-breed Shepard. Meghan Markle confirmed he was 9 months old at the time of the 16 July 2013 interview with BuzzFeed. That would put Bogart just under five years old today, which is not too old to travel. There were also no reports of any health ailments. Did Bogart the mix-breed just not fit in to the Royal mold? Interestingly, the Beagle is a breed developed in Great Britain, so perhaps that is how Guy the Beagle made the cut.

1 June 2018: Since our original post, we received a contingent of "offers" to adopt Bogart, some from very well-known Britons. In any event, Bogart is welcome at our 50-acre country spread. He can hunt, lounge, chase pheasants and rabbits, travel. NO doggie left behind.

Updated: 4 June 2018
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The marriage of Prince Henry of Wales to Ms. Rachel Meghan Markle was a turning point for the British Monarchy. This was due to the fact that Ms. Markle is a bi-racial American divorcee. Her lifestyle broke the mold of a “Royal bride.” Unlike The Duchess of Cambridge, nee Catherine Middleton, the former Ms. Markle did not move in the same social circles. She is also an independent feminist and former Hollywood actor. Her sense and sensibilities are uniquely American, but she is NOT the first American woman to be styled and titled, in the traditions of the British Aristocracy.

It should be dully noted that reports have surfaced that Ms. Markle is a “calculating” social climber who wanted to be a Princess. This was chiefly asserted by Andrew Morton in his new book and also confirmed by former friends and half-sister, Samantha Markle. A childhood video portrayed Ms. Meghan Markle as a tiara-wearing Queen belittling her subjects. In addition, Ms. Markle was allegedly fascinated with the Princess Diaries movies and obsessed with Princess Diana, even owning a book about the Royal. All this gave credence to the plot of a wannabe Princess. Perhaps, Ms. Markle's comment of not knowing anything about the Royal family, during her engagement interview, was perhaps a bit disingenuous. But what little girl doesn’t want to be a Princess? While many grow up and move on with their lives, some stay the course.

WHY THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX WILL NOT BE 'PRINCESS MEGHAN' and HOW SHE ALMOST BECAME A LESSER TITLED COUNTESS
When Ms. Markle married Prince Henry of Wales on 19 May 2018, she received the title, The Duchess of Sussex. To many, it was odd that marrying a Prince would not garner her the title of Princess. That is due to the fact the British Monarchy is reaped in tradition and in the past, Dukedoms were awarded to the sons of the Monarch. In recent incarnation of this role, the Queen bestows rightful titles upon marriage and not all of them were Dukedoms. Prince Edward received an Earldom as The Earl of Wessex (reference the film, "Shakespeare in Love") and his wife became Sophie, the Countess of Wessex; however, like all royal styles, they will mostly like be styled The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh when Prince Phillip dies.

In Britain, your birthright as a Princess is largely determined by the bloodline and by the Letters of Patent that dictates hereditary styles, titles and honours. HRH Princess Beatrice of York and HRH Princess Eugenie of York are 'blood royals.' Their father is The Duke of York. Whilst HRH Prince George of Cambridge follows similar patterns of the 1917 Letters of Patent by King George V, his sister almost became Lady Charlotte, if not for the intervention of the Queen who issued new Letters of Patent on 31 December 2012, styling all children of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in similar fashion.

In the case of Prince Edward, upon his marriage, it was decreed that any issues of The Earl and Countess of Wessex would not be styled HRH with title of Princess or Prince, but "Lady" and "Lord." Thus, their children, respectively are Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Viscount Severn or Lord Severn. If that was not complicated enough, new Letters of Patent could be issued when Charles, Prince of Wales becomes King. It is unlikely he would rock tradition and may even shrink the pool of styles, titles and honours.

The title of Princess can also be achieved through marriage, as the mother of the next monarch in succession. In the case of The Duchess of Cambridge, she will be styled as HRH Catherine, Princess of Wales when her father-in-law Charles, Prince of Wales becomes king and her husband, The Duke of Cambridge becomes the Prince of Wales, next in line to the British throne. Diana was able to maintain her title of Princess of Wales, as the mother of Prince William, but unfortunately, lost the style HRH upon her divorce. When Charles, Prince of Wales married his second wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, she was styled HRH Camilla, Princess of Wales, but decided to use her other title, The Duchess of Cornwall.

One important information should be noted here. The Duchess of Sussex has the choice and use of another title, that of Princess Henry of Wales. In the bygone era of proper honorifics, when a woman married, she took her husband’s name. Thus, The former Ms. Jones when married to Mr. John Smith, would become Mrs. John Smith, as did Princess Michael of Kent, who is the only royal to use such a title. If the Duchess of Sussex wants to be a 'Princess,' then she has a footpath.

WHY THE DAUGHTER OF THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX MAY NOT BE A PRINCESS EITHER
When King George V issued Letters of Patent in 1917, he made it clear that only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales "shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms." Prior to the birth of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, the Queen issued new Letters of Patent on 31 December 2012, which included all children of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The issues of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not have this right and thus will be styled "Lady" or "Lord." The Queen could do the same for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but it is highly doubtful. Regardless, peerage still remains that only a male heir could inherit the title and land.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX?
What’s in store for The Duchess of Sussex after her royal nuptials will be the 'Royal Finishing School.' If she is to successfully navigate the dynamics of this complex family, she will do well to learn from past mistakes of her predecessors and carefully follow royal protocol. Whilst the British Monarchy has made great strides to connect to a modern world, they still hold dear the traditions that have sustained them. These are the traditions that make the British Monarchy unique, mysterious and garner public interest and fascination.

​A member of the Royal family should be poised, conservative, fair and balanced. In addition, she must know her place in the pecking order. Whilst the word, “Obey” has been stricken from marriage vows, The Duchess of Sussex should uphold the duties and traditions that her position dictates. It takes at least five years to acclimate and change culture and it will take this time before The Duchess of Sussex becomes a British citizen. Some have speculated she may bolt. Romance and Love aside, the reality comes AFTER you say, "I will."