The royals and Dan Wootton: Byline Times part 1 of 3-year investigation into how Wootton got information about the royal family

[queentim]

Following their series about the Crisis in British Journalism and MediaToo movement, Byline Times reporters have recently released the first report of the 3 year investigation into the link between the royals and (disgraced) TV presenter Dan Wootton.

The first report reveals how Charles and William were angered that Harry refused to remove the name of an aide (William's aide in Kensington) who was paid cash to leak stories about his wife Meghan, and son Archie. This included investigations by the Met.

As a result, Charles removed the $700,000 granted to support them, which would have seen Harry and Meghan living in Canada and representing the Queen, in an effort to bring them back to the UK by exposing their location in Canada and removing their security. This was the collapse of the 'Sandringham Agreement', which resulted in the signing of the Sussexes media deals.

Some highlights, but can be bought for £3.6:

▪ It followed news that a partner of a key aide to Prince William received £4,000 from The Sun allegedly for stories about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when Wootton was executive editor.

▪ The Metropolitan Police looked into the alleged leaking but could not go to a judge for a warrant to search royal staff property without knowing the identity of the whistle-blowers.

▪ Two internal royal investigations followed – one involving Simon Case, who is today the embattled head of the civil service facing questions over the Government’s response to the pandemic.

▪ Byline Times has uncovered new photographic evidence of Wootton, the aide and the aide’s partner at a lavish private birthday party Wootton threw for his close friends in a £1,675-a-night hotel suite.

▪ Prince Harry sent formal ‘letters before action’ detailing the claims about Wootton and the palace to News UK.

▪ When the aide’s name was not removed from the legal letters, the Sussexes were cut adrift financially and left unable to protect themselves despite having a security threat level equal to the monarch.

▪ The royal household had thought the threat of exposure would force Harry and Meghan to return to the UK, where their profile could be controlled preventing them from eclipsing the future King

Exploding ‘Megxit’: How Dan Wootton and a Cash-for-Leaks Scandal Split the Monarchy

Opening the door to people’s evidence in a public enquiry being used against them does seem a bit risky though doesn’t it, regardless of the specifics?

I think the press have behaved appalling and I must admit I do feel the ALL the claimants deserve to win.

However I think on the other side that it sets a very dangerous precedent to allow evidence from the Leveson enquiry. So it does feel like they are between a rock and a hard place.

Reading the summary I think the judge has been fair in their ruling but it’s not a major win for either side.

It's a bit strange that people think that the Royals are all a loving, happy family that Harry has turned his back on. William has been busy briefing against his father. There was something in The Times today about William meeting with Xi Jim Ping, which Charles will not do because of Tibet. It stated that William thought it was pointless not talking to China. Charles was talking about the environment before William was even born and was mocked for it. His work for the Princes Trust is way more than William has achieved with his ' term time only' part time efforts. It all seems a bit like minimising his father's legacy to make himself look good. Added to that Kate turning up to the Chelsea Flower Show before Charles, and the stories about William charging his father rent on the properties he now owns. It looks like now Harry isn't the whipping boy, they are still using the press to brief against each other, and the press lap it up. Harry's mistake is believing his family are the innocent victims in all this when they are very much symbiotic.

William wants to ho further than his family

I am surprised no one is reporting on the Earthshot prizes live now on BBC, given it has its own thread.

Too busy watching it? Or are you hoping it’s lack of interest ?

Do you mean reporting as in newspapers or reporting as in here on the thread?

I think it’s partly because they delayed broadcasting the ceremony a few days but have already released the winners info. Which I thought was a weird thing to do because I’ve now already seen the results and read all about the winners and their reactions so I can’t see the point of doing another set of reports now with the same info.

I’ll probably watch the ceremony because I like all the fancy projected graphics and the little videos they show are really well produced but I’m not rushing to do it in real time because I already know the results so will probably just watch on YouTube later.

Yes, and I will watch highlights too, as other stuff going on here at the moment.

I watched it and was especially interested in the farming initiatives

It all seems a bit like minimising his father's legacy to make himself look good

Looks like he's minimising not just his father's work but the rest of them too.

He's basically pointing out what lots of us have for years - that they're just not that effective.

That said it's quite comical coming from the Duke of Dolittle 😂

Yes agree. He's talking about all of them! He's all mouth and no trousers so far though. Maybe less PR from Wills and more ffective work and he wouldn't need do declare so many outlandish and frankly unachievable things.

I watched some of it last time. No matter how little I think of William, the people doing these things are brilliant, winners or not. I wonder how much coverage they will get in the news?

LapOfLuxe · 10/11/2023 13:16
Key reason KC wanted Harry and Meghan back in the country was to use as scapegoats to protect the heirs.

Lillibet and Archie WOULD have been the easy targets but they're having a new life in the USA.

You really think Charles wants his younger son's family back in the U.K. so that he can spread/invent bad stories about his Sussex grandchildren! This says more about your attitudes than about Charles.

1. There are enough bad stories in the U.S. press about the Sussexes
2. The heirs seem to be popular and don't need to hide behind small children for protection.

I doubt Charles wants them selling stories but initially he probably thought he could control him better within the family ( which is true). Re the children, its the press that would subject them to the gossip and stories, and you can bet they would when they are teens/ early 20's, as they will to the Wales children. Because people are really only interested in the gossip when it comes to the Royals, which is why these deals happen in the first place. As it is I agree they will do it now anyway, especially as Harry has made the stupid decision to use their titles. They have done a good job keeping them out of the public eye.

Angrycat2768 · Today 07:48
I doubt Charles wants them selling stories but initially he probably thought he could control him better within the family ( which is true). Re the children, its the press that would subject them to the gossip and stories, and you can bet they would when they are teens/ early 20's, as they will to the Wales children. Because people are really only interested in the gossip when it comes to the Royals, which is why these deals happen in the first place. As it is I agree they will do it now anyway, especially as Harry has made the stupid decision to use their titles. They have done a good job keeping them out of the public eye.

I think we are talking at cross purposes here? It seemed (to me) that LapOfLuxe was saying that Charles wanted the Sussexes back in the UK so that he could plant stories about their young children to shield the direct heirs. An absolutely horrible motive to assign to anyone! I hope I was wrong.

control them better

I would use the word “protect” in place of control here.

I am thinking about who exactly one hopes to control/protect. Usually it is is someone in need of it. I think that’s panned out to be pretty obviously true in this case. Sadly.

In the byline investigative article Wooton connects with Christian Jones through Jones’ publicist boyfriend, I believe? Am I right in thinking the publicist has not been named as yet?

.

As if Harry and Meghan were given a choice.

That’s odd, @BadgerB
I’m in the U.S. and I haven’t seen any negative coverage of the Sussexes in quite some time. Of course, there’s the usual offenders like the Daily Beast and the New York Post, but they’re appalling about everyone - except Donald lol. I’ve seen some really lovely coverage about the Invictus Games.
The most abhorrent comments come from Mumsnet and Quora, from people who will never meet Meghan and Harry. It’s absurd to me how people can end up with so much hatred for complete strangers.

Ha ha ha

DreamTheMoors · Yesterday 03:02
That’s odd, @BadgerB
I’m in the U.S. and I haven’t seen any negative coverage of the Sussexes in quite some time.
I'm in the U.K. so I'll take your word for that. Things may change after Scobie's book... No, no H& M had no part in THAT, of course not.

The most abhorrent comments come from Mumsnet and Quora, from people who will never meet Meghan and Harry. It’s absurd to me how people can end up with so much hatred for complete strangers.

This is a stupid statement and so often used by H&M defenders. Of course you can dislike people you've never met.
Can I not think Putin is evil, Hitler was not a lovely man because I've never either?
I judge H to be thick and M to be grasping.

History is all about judging those we've never met.

We read newspapers and decide which politician to vote for - probably will never meet her/him.

If posters don’t want to talk about the Byline Investigation - the topic of this thread - but instead are just using this thread to hate Harry and Meghan, they can scrabble back off to the hate threads. ‘2royal racists’ is full but ‘Omid Scobie Endgame part 2’ is still running.

Well said. There's threads to go to on MN to repeat the same old same old unpleasantness and insults.

well said. its a shame that this thread has to be targetted

Personally I have not gone near the hate threads. There is little to no debate or argument and the haters are welcome to them .

Im interested in the Duchy theft thread and this thread - the relationship between William and Dan Whooton.
I have seen extracts from Endgame where Omid Scobie has put together a clear timeline , starting with Harry being forcibly told by the top palace aides not to sue the papers despite having evidence .

We knew this already but his argument sets it out clearly .
I havent bought the book and I might - for his timeline re William and throwing H and M to the wolves to distract from….?