The Palace seems to be Leaking like a Sieve

[Meanderings]

These people are apparently worried about what Harry will write in his memoir but we've somehow managed to get a play by play of what has gone on this week.

From blocking Meghan's visit to Balmoral to how the joint greeting of well wishers came about.

Please note that these writers are making it clear they are speaking to Palace sources.

Now when H&M start speaking (in defense of themselves), people will complain.

Prince William and Harry’s reconciliation is just for mourning, not for life

Bombshell text from William to Harry that sparked an unexpected show of family unity after the pair failed to meet at Balmoral in the hours after Queen's death, writes RICHARD KAY

I really liked Harry and Meghan until a few months ago, and I don't really care for the royal family but I don't think it's fair the royal family never get to defend themselves. And I also think Harry and Meghan have made themselves perpetually the victim. So if it is the royal family leaking it I can't blame them. But equally I don't read everything I hear. And a lot of people will feel like you reading these thinking that the royal family are horrible for the leaks so it's not just going in the royal family's favour really.

I think everyone would do well to pause and stop talking about who did or said what. This includes leaking to the press, whomsoever they may be and I’m also including the press and public. I think if the family are to get back to any semblance of normality, HMQ was right in her never complain, never attitude as this is a case of least said soonest mended.

was it not more likely that Catherine wanted to break the news to her children in person and comfort them ?
George and Charlotte are certainly old enough to understand .

Kates side know that it is absolutely all about the queen at the moment. I expect there will be lots of stuff as the autumn progresses. Now the only woman that matters is the one in the coffin.

🙄someone thinks the Daily Fail is a newspaper.

It's probably good to remember that, in every issue in any life, there is one sides version and the other sides version and somewhere in the middle is the truth. The papers don't care about that , they just print stuff that sells papers.

I haven't seen her on anything during all the endless hours of queen based telly. She must be fuming. They have wheeled everyone else out.

so much focus on megan,
i guess that is to keep the interest up and americans on side

So if reputable sources report conflicting stories then it does sometimes appear that someone somewhere is making stuff up.

Clearly, untrue stories are being published.

For example, around M and H and Kate And William going to the gates at Balmoral to meet the public, lots of different accounts of what was going on there in the national press.

Spot on!

What papers/websites do you classify as 'reputable mainstream outlets', though?
The sun, daily mail, etc never came across to me as reputable, more like 'we like to wind up people so we make up some outrageous headlines then sit back and watch the fireworks'.

This whole thing has highlighted to me just how patronising the Royal Family PR machine is to the general public. We’re treated like children that couldn’t possibly handle the facts. Whilst I appreciate there are certain privacy and security issues, their policy of remaining tightlipped all the time merely feeds rumour and speculation. It was obvious from around midday last Thursday that the queen had already died. You only needed to see the newscaster’s face when she announced breaking news about ‘health concerns’ that she had read a lot more on her laptop.

Whether it’s the family themselves or their advisors, there seems an almost an obsessive need to control output and image. By just reporting the truth, they could squash immediately all the drivel and nonsense churned out by the media. However, a change of policy would certainly put an end to a few royal correspondents roles. They’d have nothing to pontificate about for hours!

@EarthSwallowMeWhole I definitely don’t include the Sun and Daily Mail in the ranks of the respectable!

I’m thinking more about the BBC, the Guardian, to an extent the Times, and some of the US outlets. Basically, ones with a strong editorial code of ethics and oversight.

@JohnPrescottsPyjamas

I like your post and so agree. It was surely easier for the RF to control the media before SM came along. Now it's just spin, opinion, 'royal sources', and nonsense... like an out of control beast.

Gone are the days of 'never complain, never explain'. Many of them have complained... I would like to think this new Monarch will herald an era of 'explaining' but I don't hold out much hope for that TBH

Once the RF let the light in on their world, all the cobwebs and dust show. It’s a disastrous policy. They need to keep an air of mystique or they appear just like us. They are just people. Not particularly talented or intelligent. Quite unattractive physically in the main. The Queen earned deference because she set a standard for behaviour. Charles has already shown himself to be very flawed . Things don’t look good for the future of the monarchy, especially with M and H behaving like spoilt children telling anyone who will listen what the nasty people have done to them.

I think the use of interns and the lack of sub editors is painfully apparent. The photographs are invariably excellent, the writing usually slipshod (as well as transparently biased)

The Palace AREN'T leaking any of this! When it comes directly out of The Mouth of one of the senior Royals, THEN believe it.

What Harry & Megan have done is go public themselves with OW etc.

I won't go into my opinion if what they've said, as my point is solely that what the media say the palace have said is NOT the palace saying!!

"The Palace AREN'T leaking any of this! When it comes directly out of The Mouth of one of the senior Royals, THEN believe it. "

Are you saying newspapers don't have receive information from palace sources? Or those palace sources don't have permission (tacit or otherwise) to speak to the press?

It's at times like this you miss Norman St.John Stevas. Aka Lord St.John of Fawsley. Or Cringe on All Foursy.

His Hooray Henry striped shirts and his hushed and reverential tone when speaking of Her Mejesteh. After listening to his blather for 5 minutes you'd realise how daft it all is.

I think in a rag like the DM it's 75% made up or fishing.

I agree the Palace, like all organisers who want to maintain their status, leaks all the time. Some indirectly from the RF, some by the staff. They both have a lot invested in promoting the RF and the direct line of succession.

I just wish so many people didn't believe it.

W & K are the secret weapon and 'all of this', apart from the obvious narrative, has been their showcase. They have entered a different league. I fully expect them to go stratospheric.

That’s a very good point - and a very good analogy!

The whole family are looking more and more out of step with modern life. The rather quaint way of dressing their children, the bizarre ‘rules’ about not leaving before the sovereign, not speaking to them unless they speak to you first etc etc. The expectation of deference. Personally, I would hate to meet people and to know they were so intimidated in my presence that they couldn’t be themselves.

It all seems so controlled and antiquated.

Is Nicholas Witchell worse? Quite possibly. His obsequious fawning is just excrutiating, especially given Charles called said "oh god I can't stand him. That awful man"

It's just embarrassing. I swear he nearly wets himself when talking of the RF.

I think you'll find Sunshine Sachs are leaking like a sieve.........

The Palace PR is rightly focusing on her late Majesty this week.

It all seems so controlled and antiquated

And yet, very much loved - seemingly, by the vast majority of humanity.