Category Archives: Monarchy

‘Rogue royals’? Pundits furious over Harry and Meghan’s step back

Posted on by

Announcement by pair that they are stepping back from public life brings hysterical response

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to step back from public life has provoked vitriolic attacks on the couple and hyperbolic predictions on what it could mean for the monarchy.

The announcement came after Prince Harry and Meghan criticised media intrusion and launched legal action against the Mail on Sunday. This, along with reports that the couple’s decision has upset the Queen, appears to have fuelled the ferocity of the reaction.

Continue reading...

Meghan and Harry’s story is quite the drama, but it’s no abdication crisis

Posted on by

Edward VIII’s love for an American divorcee plunged the country into constitutional chaos. These latest goings on are hardly in the same league, despite what some might say

There is a school of thought that believes Edward VIII chose Mrs Simpson precisely because of his aversion to doing the top job. Subconsciously, some think, the king chose a partner who could not be reconciled with the monarchy, in order that he might create a way out of it for himself. Perhaps in time people will be imposing that remote diagnosis on the Duke of Sussex. At some level, was Harry drawn to a woman whose nature would ultimately necessitate their joint escape from the institution?

Either way, a mere 83 years after the experiment was first tried, it is clearly much too soon to say whether marrying American divorcees generally works out well for the House of Windsor. I’m joking, of course. You need at least three instances of anything for it to officially become a trend.

Continue reading...

Prince Harry and Meghan to step back from royal family

Posted on by

Duke and Duchess of Sussex say they intend to ‘work to become financially independent’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to step back from public life and work towards financial self-sufficiency after a period marked by open warfare with the media over claimed intrusion and bullying.

The couple plan to split their time between the UK and North America, the continent of Meghan’s birth, as they raise their son.

Continue reading...

Prince William unveils ‘Earthshot prize’ to tackle climate crisis

Posted on by

Move is hailed by Sir David Attenborough as ‘the most prestigious environment prize in history’

Prince William has announced what was described as “the most prestigious environment prize in history” to encourage new solutions to tackling the climate crisis.

The “Earthshot prize” will be awarded to five people every year over the next decade, the Prince said on Tuesday, and aims to provide at least 50 answers to some of the greatest problems facing the planet by 2030.

Continue reading...

Queen acknowledges ‘bumpy’ year as royal family attends Christmas services

Posted on by

Prince Andrew attends celebrations but not main service, while Queen acknowledges young people’s action on climate crisis

The royal family was out in force in a public show of Christmas unity as the Queen dwelt on the themes of friendship and reconciliation in her annual message and acknowledged a “quite bumpy” path during a turbulent year for both the monarchy and the nation.

The beleaguered Duke of York joined other members of the family for the traditional celebrations at Sandringham in Norfolk in his first appearance since he was forced to step down from official royal duties over his friendship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

Continue reading...

Prince Philip to spend ‘a few more days’ in hospital

Posted on by
Queen is not changing her Christmas schedule as Duke of Edinburgh remains in London

The Duke of Edinburgh is expected to stay in hospital for a few more days while receiving treatment relating to a “pre-existing condition”.

His planned admission on Friday to King Edward VII’s Hospital in central London, which has treated members of the royal family for decades, was described as precautionary by Buckingham Palace.

Continue reading...

Prince Philip treated in hospital for pre-existing condition

Posted on by

Ninety-eight-year-old moved from Norfolk to the King Edward VII hospital in London

The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital for observation and treatment in relation to a pre-existing condition, Buckingham Palace said.

In a statement, the palace said: “The Duke of Edinburgh travelled from Norfolk this morning to the King Edward VII hospital in London for observation and treatment in relation to a pre-existing condition. The admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of his royal highness’s doctor.”

Continue reading...

‘Help me fight this fight’: Virginia Giuffre in plea to public over Prince Andrew scandal

Posted on by

American tells BBC she was told to have sex with royal by Jeffrey Epstein’s friend Ghislaine Maxwell

A beleaguered Prince Andrew faced fresh embarrassment after his accuser Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked as a teenager to have sex with him, appeared on television to implore the British public to “not accept this as being OK”.

In her first UK broadcast interview, Giuffre repeated allegations she had sex with the prince when she was aged 17 on the instructions of Ghislaine Maxwell, a socialite and close friend of the US financier and sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in August.

Continue reading...

Prince Andrew to stand aside from all 230 of his patronages

Posted on by

Move follows BBC interview about association with sex offender Jeffery Epstein

Prince Andrew is to withdraw from scores of charities in a move that appeared designed to protect the monarchy from further humiliation over his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday that the Duke of York was “standing back from all his patronages” but indicated he still hoped to return to a public role at some point by saying the move was only temporary.

Continue reading...

Prince Andrew and the royal crisis: How the Firm lost its grip

Posted on by
The Duke of York’s interview has exposed a leadership vacuum within the House of Windsor

Future historians may conclude that Prince Andrew’s defining achievement was to gift the nation a new verb.

Following a tumultuous week when his car-crash interview shook the House of Windsor so vigorously it seemed its palaces were in danger of losing their crenellations, the Duke of York now finds himself banished from duties. His fate is the 21st-century equivalent of that which befell the difficult minor royals of previous eras who were locked up in asylums, away from the public gaze.

Continue reading...

Met faces new questions over ‘trafficked’ teen in Epstein case

Posted on by
Victims’ tsar to query Force’s decision not to act over Prince Andrew claims

The Victims’ Commissioner is demanding that the Metropolitan Police explain its decision not to pursue a full investigation into claims a teenager was trafficked to the UK to have sex with Prince Andrew.

The Observer understands that Dame Vera Baird QC, a former solicitor general and chair of the Board of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, has taken a close interest in the allegations, first examined by Scotland Yard in 2015.

Continue reading...

Prince Andrew’s private secretary steps down after Newsnight interview

Posted on by

Amanda Thirsk will run mentoring initiative, as Barclays becomes latest organisation to sever ties with the prince

Barclays has become the latest among a growing number of organisations to sever ties with Prince Andrew, as it emerged that the aide who orchestrated the beleaguered royal’s disastrous interview about his links to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is no longer his private secretary.

Amanda Thirsk, who was said to have played a key role in persuading him to agree to the BBC interview, has reportedly moved on to run his business mentoring initiative, Pitch@Palace.

Continue reading...

Prince Andrew: lawyers for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims hint at subpoena

Posted on by

Royal pressed to turn over all relevant documents about contacts with financier

Lawyers representing the victims of the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have signalled they are willing to serve a subpoena to Prince Andrew to ensure he cooperates with their investigations.

In a statement on Wednesday announcing he was standing down from public duties, the Duke of York said he was willing to help “any appropriate law enforcement agency” with their investigations after what he accepted was his “ill-judged association” with Epstein.

Continue reading...

KPMG ends its backing for Prince Andrew’s mentorship scheme

Posted on by

Accountancy firm not renewing sponsorship, it emerges, after much-criticised TV interview

The accountancy giant KPMG is not renewing its sponsorship of Prince Andrew’s entrepreneurial scheme Pitch@Palace, it has emerged, in the wake of his much-derided interview in which he defended his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York has been heavily criticised as having shown neither contrition nor sympathy for Epstein’s child victims in the BBC Newsnight interview and his suitability as patron to scores of charities and organisations has been called into question as a result.

Continue reading...

Prince Andrew: Calls for royal to say sorry and speak to FBI

Posted on by

Lawyers for Epstein’s victims say they were ‘almost completely ignored’ in interview

Prince Andrew is facing a transatlantic backlash over his extraordinary defence of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein after lawyers who represent 10 of the billionaire predator’s victims branded the royal unrepentant and implausible and demanded that he speak to the FBI.

After the royal’s defiant Newsnight interview on Saturday triggered a disbelieving reaction from the public and the media, the prince was under growing pressure from critics in the UK and US on Sunday who demanded an apology for his conduct and said that his defence of his actions was simply not credible.

Continue reading...

‘He was incredibly gracious after’: Newsnight team say Andrew was pleased with interview

Posted on by

Appearance was secured after six months of negotiations and royal’s team referred decision upwards

As television interviews go, it was one of the most excruciating – and most sought-after – in British history. But when Prince Andrew’s painstakingly negotiated head-to-head with Emily Maitlis in Buckingham Palace finished, the royal appeared oblivious to the damage that had been done. In fact, he was so pleased with how things had gone that he gave the Newsnight team a tour of the palace afterwards.

On Sunday, as the prince’s team picked up the pieces from an interview widely perceived to have been disastrous for his reputation, the remarkable story of how it came about emerged – from the departure of a key aide to drawn-out discussions and a last-minute message to the Queen.

Continue reading...

Royal experts question wisdom of Harry and Meghan documentary

Posted on by

Couple’s interview about impact of press intrusion could ‘just feed media machine’

The decision by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to agree to a highly emotional TV interview about their treatment at the hands of the press could open them up to further damaging headlines, according to PR experts and royal watchers.

In the ITV documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, Harry appeared to give credence to long-standing rumours of a rift with William when he admitted the brothers had “good days and bad days” and that they were following different paths.

Continue reading...

Meghan: I was warned the British tabloids would destroy my life

Posted on by

Royal speaks of struggling to cope with her new life in interview for ITV documentary

The Duchess of Sussex has revealed she was warned before her marriage to Prince Harry that the British tabloids would “destroy” her life, as she spoke of struggling to cope with the reality of being part of the royal family.

In an interview for the ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, she said the last year had been “hard” and that she had had “no idea” of what she would face.

Continue reading...

Prince Harry: ‘My mother’s death is wound that festers’

Posted on by

Duke of Sussex reveals emotional toll of following in footsteps of Diana, Princess of Wales

The Duke of Sussex has described the emotional impact of walking in his mother’s footsteps, and how dealing with her death is a “wound that festers”, in a new ITV documentary.

In an interview with ITV News at Ten anchor Tom Bradby, Prince Harry was asked how he felt retracing the steps of Diana, Princess of Wales, during the recent southern Africa tour with the Duchess of Sussex, 22 years after his mother’s death.

Continue reading...