Andrew - continuing his effort to end the Monarchy, part 2

[AnnunciataM]

I am not the OP of the previous thread but we are nearly at 1000 posts and there's been some very good discussion on there.

Previous thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5473274-andrew-continuing-his-effort-to-end-the-monarchy

And how long have posters on this board been saying, ‘his protection officers must have seen lots of stuff’? Since 2020?

My point with the BBC link was to show that the DM article omitted to include the fact that Paul Page was a convicted fraudster who served 6 years. We are led to believe from the DM article that he was just a normal protection officer who was trying to do the right thing (🤔).

I used to know a couple of MET officers in the 90s so I can well believe they all played poker, entertained themselves with pornography, posed around the palace and were quite happy to wave Andrew’s women visitors through.

It raises the question as to how much of Andrew’s activities did actually did get through to the RF though.

I'm inclined to think that AMW didn't have the energy or the will to keep RL in good repair , or perhaps not the money. This is pure speculation on my part but I wonder if as long as he had hot and cold running servants , a comfy chair and a decent TV (all in palatial surroundings ) he was happy. I'm not sure he even thought about upkeep, just assumed everything would keep going without any effort from him ( like Yossarian with the Nissan Huts in Catch 22.

He may have found time to brush his teddies ( now that bit I may have unashamedly made up. He probably had someone to do it for him 😊)

The DM archive link is here
https://archive.is/wACsf

The Times archive link, which is the origin of the story, and has rather more detail, is here
https://archive.is/Xumlo

Relevant pieces of information not included by the DM:
The conviction and jails sentence for fraud
The fact that the Times reported his allegations of professional misconduct in 2008
The fact that the letter he has been sent said that breaching obligations of confidentiality 'did not extend to matters of criminality and “in such cases we urge for you to report directly to police in order that an investigation may take place”'.

It raises the question as to how much of Andrew’s activities did actually did get through to the RF though.

I do think that's a good point @IAmATorturedPoet. I saw Rebecca English speaking about this a couple of weeks ago.
She said when the press used to receive the weekly list of engagements for the Royal Family from BP press office often there was nothing for Andrew. She would ask what he was doing and they would say they didn't know.
She would then hear he was in X country and would ask how did he get there? Who was paying? And was told they didn't know.

She said he operated in a silo - his office was very separate.

But wasn't the maintenance a condition of the contract? If that was the case then there's no excuse for letting the place fall into disrepair. Hopefully better informed posters can confirm.

(Paul page) was a bent copper who was jailed for six years for fraud

So WTF was he doing anywhere near a royal protection role, @IAmATorturedPoet?

Unless I suppose it was thought he'd have some good contacts to share with AMW ...

Typo

He was jailed after that @Puzzledandpissedoff - the details are in the Times article

Ah - you mean after the time when he was supposedly protecting Andrew, bluegreygreen?

Obviously that's different, but I still have to wonder what such a man might have seen fit to share with him while in post

That’s most interesting and I’m not really surprised tbh. Perhaps why it’s been reported that Charles when PoW didn’t want AMW near the trade envoy role.

On another note is Anyone else having issues with lagging on MN?

I suppose if the general attitude was that AMW was a womaniser and a frequent traveller and that that was ' just what he's like' then nobody is going to pay much attention to the details of what he is actually up to. Randy Andy and Airmiles Andy is how most of us perceived him. Maybe the RF were similarly in the dark for ages. Who could have known the true horror of it all apart from those taking part.

I'm inclined to think that AMW didn't have the energy or the will to keep RL in good repair

I don't think he'd be alone in that regard.

It's quite shocking how many royal properties seem to fall into disrepair and then have to be gussied up at considerable cost once they're 'needed' again.

It’s the bookmarking that’s not working for me. Can’t work out where in the thread I am. By the time I find the right place, the thread’s moved on and posters are talking about something else.

Apologies for the tangent but this article adds a bit more RPO background info.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/jul/17/royal-protection-officer-fraud-guilty

Paul Page sounds like he would fit in nicely within the House of York.

I actually feel sorry for some of these officers that were taken in by this man, they nearly lost everything (inc their marriages) and now they regularly see him working the TV and media circuit for money.

Hardly surprising that they were worried about saying anything that may cost them their jobs.

Are these same offices now going to be thrown under the bus by their superiors? (to cover arses)

@NewAgeNewMe yes, lagging for me.

Every time I see it I am aghast that two people were living in such an enormous property.

He's been talking to ladbible as well.

Maxwell was going in and out of the palace up to 4 times a day to Andrews private apartment and they were ordered not to note her name in official logs of attendance. No one else had that exemption

He says staff thought they were in a relationship.

https://youtube.com/shorts/xb-TfN24JMM?si=SUXYPRFdw7Mi2_Ux

Not as bad as Edward & Sophie!

120 rooms
51 acres

It's gobsmacking it really is. Just the two of them rattling around in a place like that.

They did have two kids living with them until recently but still ludicrous.

I remember him saying he was going to use his spare time (after TLQ demoted him) to doing some gardening 😂😂😂 I howled with laughter. That acreage needs a team of gardeners. He raked up a few leaves and then planted a rhododendron!! Like they need anymore of those (rampant nuisance in that area) lasted all of an hour.

He definitely has lawyers because they spoke to the BBC last night. No commenting, but they exist and are presumably being paid by him.

I wonder if they could consider listing on Airbnb

Guardian archive link
https://archive.is/zjn4p

Great web graphic in the DM today. I find the discussion around removing AMW from the line of succession to be largely performative. It’s very unlikely that the seven or eight ahead of him would suddenly vapourize.

The"king Ralph" scenario

I know what you're getting at but I think the optics matter in this case. And I think it would mean something to the victims.