'Courtiers' by Valentine Low

[RandomPenguinHouse]

Extracts of this were being discussed on a previous thread ('The Times) which just finished.

I'm interested in buying this book, despite never having ever bought any other book about the Royal Family and never having watched The Crown.

I'm interested however in the archaic rituals of the Royal Court and how it works as an employer, and also how the courtiers advise.

Yes the excerpts were focused on Harry and Meghan but presumably that's just for clicks given the relevant timing, and that the book goes well beyond that.

Poignant that in the synopsis for it on The Foyles website it says:

The Queen, after a remarkable 70 years of service, is entering the final seasons of her reign without her husband Philip to guide her. Meanwhile, Charles seeks to define what his future as King will be, with his court wielding ever greater influence as he plans for his imminent accession.

www.foyles.co.uk/witem/biography/courtiers,valentine-low-9781472290908

Anyone else thinking of buying this?

@Coronateachingagain

I believe you will find that Harry and Meghan use those titles because they were bestowed upon them a gift from the Queen on their wedding. They are not Mountbatten Windsor because the protocol is that only those family members without a title who are descended from the male line use that name. As Harry is a male descendant with a title, he has no need to use the name. Meghan has already been blasted for not following protocol, tights, nail varnish etc, I imagine Mumsnetters who seem to be sticklers for Protocol, will combust of they call themselves Mountbatten Windsor against Protocol 😁

On a serious note, @Backstreetsbackalrightdadada I am not British and find the title thing weird as fuck. But here is where I come down, if Lady Colin Campbell, often quoted here as an authority, can earn mega bucks bitching about the royals with a title, seeming inherited from a divorced husband after a short marriage, then Mumsnet can jolly well put up with a man born a prince of a realm using the titles given to him and his wife by his grandmother the Queen, without getting the vapours. 😁

Sorry for typos, Prince of the Realm, even!

The book reveals M was nicknamed evil narcissistic sociopath. Strong words, suggesting her employees must have really suffered and felt victimised to refer to her in that way. It also suggests a lot of detail has actually been held back regarding what she put them through. Wonder if it will be in the book, or if it will come out at a later date.

Wow, if Charles really did rip a sink to claim back a piece of jewellery, he’s gone up in my estimation. Sounds like a handy type of person to have around.

But I was excited by H and M to begin with as they seemed “normal”… this is the problem with them as with all of them… they’re all much a muchness. I don’t want the same bunch who cling on to the same titles and same old principles. Much like they’re free to wear any nail varnish now they’re free to be themselves, not the titles their family gave them, and the very family they are distanced from. Why be like “Lady Colin Campbell” (is she royal? Not sure who she is). The whole point is to break away. The picking and choosing - for someone like me who isn’t a royalist - is odd and undercuts the principles I thought they stood for. The titles are so the peak of that!!

And… H… name the racist!!!! Similar point.. stand for something, name them. This isn’t a family matter but a national one. After the interview (which I admired them for actually) I though ok next steps is he’ll do that. I actually like M (though taken aback by the treatment of staff claims as been on the receiving end of that sort of behaviour and pattern is very familiar). But it seems H doesn’t want to protect her more than his family, on getting her care or naming the racist. Plus he’s never apologised for being racist himself. As someone younger than him it’s infuriating when people see him still as just a young lad! Ugh!!

anyway… accountability please.

The book reveals M was nicknamed evil narcissistic sociopath.

This comment made me laugh out loud, it absolutely wins the thread! It also cues my exit, one because I have work to do, but also because this thread has officially jumped the shark!

It conforms everything I believe about the book and its sources, named or unnamed.

The people we normally call evil narcissistic sociopaths are people like, oh I don't know, Hitler, Dahmer and other serial killers.

That any of you are willing to swallow this hatchet job so uncritically tells me so much about class and race bias in this country.

And it cheers me up no end to think that Meghan escaped this cesspit.

I leave this thread positively elated for her. The Omid book was well-titled. Finding Freedom is exactly what she and Harry did.

I will be back next Tuesday to post about the new Archetypes episode. Till then, thank you all.

They didn’t seem to find freedom, they seemed to want to find a royal franchise!

The people we normally call evil narcissistic sociopaths are people like, oh I don't know, Hitler, Dahmer and other serial killers.

And CEOs actually - there are far, far more sociopaths and narcissists among their ranks than in the normal population. Not all people with these personality traits are on the scale of your examples, you know! 😂

As long as they are not working with white people who call the only non-white member of the family in more than however long the Royal family has existed an evil, narcissistic sociopath, I'm pretty sure than even an paid stint working in a MacDonald's franchise would be a form of freedom!!

I'm pretty sure than even an paid stint working in a MacDonald's franchise would be a form of freedom!!

Hmmm, not sure I can see the actress who threw a “Sayonara Zara” party to mark the fact that her days of having to shop in a -gasp!- mass market clothing stores were over (when Suits was given a multi-season contract after its first season) being keen on that!

The pigeon thinks they’ve won…

"Never get into a battle of wits with someone who is completely unarmed"

Actually they are terms you’ll find medical experts using - and they are used to describe certain behaviour traits.

You can’t unsee it:

delusional

grandiose

entitled with no empathy

Thought a farewell had been issued yet continued to post. Undermining your own stance. Says it all.

So @DFOD you have labelled me a pigeon and insulted me as a person who is unarmed, all with plausible deniability and in a really cowardly manner because you don't use my name, but use coded language understood by your fellow gang members.

This is exactly the sort of thing we talk about when we say Meghan bashers just want to create a little cesspit of hate.

You are not going to bully me off these threads.

I will be back at a time of my choosing, and no amount of coded sneering will stop me posting.

Thanks.

Her childhood was a narc breeding ground. Her father telling her she was amazing, inventing the p&g letter to make her feel super special, getting her onto Nickelodeon to talk about how amazing she was.

least 5 of the following 9 criteria:
A grandiose sense of self-importance
A preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
A belief that he or she is special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people or institutions
A need for excessive admiration
A sense of entitlement
Interpersonally exploitive behavior
A lack of empathy
Envy of others or a belief that others are envious of him or her
A demonstration of arrogant and haughty behaviors or attitudes

That any of you are willing to swallow this hatchet job so uncritically tells me so much about class and race bias in this country.

And it cheers me up no end to think that Meghan escaped this cesspit.

I leave this thread positively elated for her. The Omid book was well-titled. Finding Freedom is exactly what she and Harry did.

I will be back next Tuesday to post about the new Archetypes episode. Till then, thank you all.

Coded sneering, did you say…?

Significantly constantly casting oneself as a perpetual victim, is consistent with the aforementioned personality disorders - strengthening the nicknames as revealed by the book extracts.

Absolutely right.

The Spectator article by Kara Kennedy is spot on {As shared by previous poster}

Well worth a read.

They have nothing to ''Sell'' but Harry's Royal connection.

www.spectator.co.uk/article/inside-meghan-markle-s-hollywood-flop

@DFOD

Tom Bowyer showed examples of all these criteria

Oh interesting and hardly a surprise.

Got an advance copy and read the book MY ARSE

@MrsMaxDeWinter - any comment to this personal attack?

Strange how the fans only appear one at a time, it’s almost like a Clark Kent / superman situation

Yes, I thought this last night.

To be fair they are a endangered species.

Most have taken to their bed this week.

Exhausted