It’s interesting how positive headlines about Harry coming in from the cold are being used to mask negative ones about Sarah Ferguson

[Inotherwordspleasebetrue]

This is blatant speculation but I’m beginning to think that Harry was right all along and that the Buckingham Palace press machine uses stories about the lower ranking royals royals to protect the core of the monarchy.

So, on this occasion, to distract from damaging stories about Sarah Ferguson’s e-mails and back-tracking with Epstein, especially given the Yorks recent prominent appearance at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral, my theory is that the Palace has given a tacit nod to a story about Harry coming back in from the cold, knowing that any story about Harry or Meghan will immediately hit the top slot and overshadow anything else?

Buckingham Palace must think people are very dim, or rely on the fact that they swallow this propaganda whole without questioning it?

Of course this time Harry will be happy because the headlines are favourable to him. And on a human level everyone loves a story about a reconciliation between father and son. But generally I think the British public are being played by all of this spin to cover up the type of story about financial murkiness that Andrew Lownie uncovered and wrote about in his latest book?

All of which leads me to wondering why the Royal Family and the men in grey suits are once again protecting Andrew and Sarah? Is it simply because Andrew is the King’s brother, and therefore close to the Crown, or is it because Andrew’s financial dealings are not much different to what most of them do in the RF, but just a bit more blatant and extreme?

Who knows what the truth is any more?

There are no European monarchies who don't have state banquets and/or don't do overseas tours. They are in general much flashier than ours, bring out the tiaras whenever possible and there are a few that give automatic titles to all the monarch's grandchildren. This idea that European monarchies are cheaper and less 'showy' is a myth.

I don’t understand QE2´s alleged response to PA’s alleged financial misdemeanours at all! Everyone said she put duty first, not family!
If he was breaking the law, then she would surely have been compelled to act by her advisors?

Even the courts couldn't have compelled her, @Inotherwordspleasebetrue, since the monarch is quite literally above the law, so I don't imagine a disposable advisor would stand much chance

Within a constitutional monarchy they're supposed to follow the government's guidance, but good luck even with that if it concerned something the Queen was really determined not to do

No matter how much flannel there is about someone being "wedded to their duty" it doesn't necessarily make it so if the circumstances don't suit

Yeah, I think the Sussex-York entanglement is very bloody interesting. Bunch of weirdos.

Yes, all very strange.

The podcast recommended above is always very interesting, especially as they often give opposing views (When it hits the fan).

Re the DM stories - there are 2 writers (Charlotte Griffiths and Bryony Gordon) who have close links to the Sussex PR team and post stories from their viewpoint. Other writers will post from different standpoints.
The DM will post whatever gets them readers. I don't know why they've currently decided that accusing the Prince of Wales of not working enough is the thing to do. 18 months ago (Feb 24) they ran the story of King Charles telling William to spend time with his family. Who knows which version is true?
A lot of work happens (eg wrt the Royal Foundation) that isn't reported in the mainstream media.

Re Andrew: I think there are many important men in politics and business, on both sides of the Atlantic, for whom the media outrage against Andrew works well in diverting attention from them. Also, Andrew's shady dealings as special representative for trade/investment can only implicate others as well (he was a government representative).

I always laugh when I see these types of comments. Most the European Royal Families do just as many, if not more State banquets, foreign tours - all complete with more bling than the Brits. They also do a lot of charity work.

They are far more ostentatious than the House of Windsor.

IMO, Sarah is invited to family events as PA’s plus one, because the RF is grateful for the care she gives him. I would have thought most people in PA’s position would need some moral support, going to family events - knowing how the country and the RF feel about him.

I suspect the King is worried if they push PA too far, he could write his own “Spare” book, which would push Harry’s into the shade! Better to try to keep PA onside in a damage limitation exercise!

Thank you for a new podcast! Listened to one so far-very interesting.

Absolutely. Harry’s new PR team are earning their money.

If that was true then they're doing a very bad job of it. Whenever I've been on the BBC today Sarah and Epstein has been at worst #3 in top stories and not a bean about anything to do with PH.
On the other news feed I'm on the highest Royal news story is one about Mike Tindall saying something. Sarah and Epstein are another pages down, and the only PH one is right at the bottom.

Agree.

And I think Harry's description of how the RF press game is played is 100% accurate.

This is blatant speculation but I’m beginning to think that Harry was right all along and that the Buckingham Palace press machine uses stories about the lower ranking royals royals to protect the core of the monarchy.

This is how PR works!

What absolute nonsense!

Agree, and that is why the Queen didn't turf either of them out into the wilderness. But people tattled to Lownie all the same, possibly just to yank his leash a bit and remind him what side his bread was buttered on. I'd say there's more dirt than Lownie uncovered.

bring out the tiaras whenever possible

I can't criticise them for that! I want to see more jewels, what's the point in keeping them locked away?
Do they worry that we will be reminded of how rich they are 😆

Care to elaborate and give examples?

I'm an American. Based on what I've seen about Harry's track record with African Parks, Sentebale, Betterup, the Travalyst hypocrisy, and the Archewell farce(still can't get their paperwork in on time) plus disaster tourism, getting booed at the Pat Tillman Awards, insulting John Travolta, etc he is an incompetent idiot.

I sometimes watch Palace Confidential on YouTube, and people are cancelling their subscriptions because they hate Charlotte Griffiths so much. People also comment about their positive interactions with PW.

As Ever is a joke. It's not a sustainable business model. No one is buying the scam jam.

Also no one is buying their PR. Harry seems to be running around like a chicken without a head on. Meghan seems stuck in the 1990's. They definitely don't seem blissfully happy to me.

Wrt the celebration of birthdays - the annual Trooping of the Colour is a mahoosive public event put on to celebrate the official birthday of the British monarch.

@BemusedAmerican I can't tell if you're a fan or not? 🤔

I read Andrew Lownie' book " Entitled" about Andrew and Fergie. I will buy Virginia Giuffre's book when it comes out.

I don't like bullies. I don't like people who do no work and issue a press statement on the rare occasion they appear to do some work.

Edited for typos.

I don't like people who do no work and issue a press statement on the rare occasion they appear to do some work.

I would say most of the Royals bar the Queen come under that criteria.

A bloke that has no qualms about consorting with Epstein, leaving wank tissues for staff to pick up

Sorry leaving WHAT for staff to pick up??😦

I already thought little of him, but my god that is flexing your position to the staff in a truly egregious and disgusting way.

How is it that the late Elizabeth II was so absolutely blind to her youngest son's extremely serious character flaws? I mean they were always obviously going to cause problems down the road? No one among her advisors related any of this to her?

Re Bagshot Park, I read somewhere that Edward and Sophie only use a handful of rooms. It was used as as army quarters for much of the 20th Century until Edward leased it in the late 1990s. It was refurbished when they got married as it was quite run down after the army left, the cost was shared between the crown and their private incomes (back when they still had their commercial careers).

I would assume both properties are partly paid through their sovereign grant as neither Prince Edward or Princess Anne have big enough networth to sustain the costs for decades. I think Peter and Zara, and Peter's ex wife live at Gatcombe Park but not sure if they pay rent.

Sophie and Edward do much of the foreign leg work these days. In the past few months they have both been to Canada and the US separately, done a joint tour of Nepal and Japan. Sophie has also visited Bosnia and Edward just returned from Papa New Guinea.

Scam jam 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. What is fake jam? Pray tell.

I'm quoting Kevin O'Sullivan. He tried a jar of the raspberry jam on his show and was horrified - claimed it wasn't proper jam. Apparently very runny. I don't like jam do not buy it myself.