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The royal family

Andrew - continuing his effort to end the Monarchy Part 3

878 replies

simpsonthecat · 21/02/2026 19:39

Here we are

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5487636-andrew-continuing-his-effort-to-end-the-monarchy-part-2?page=20&reply=150676336

OP posts:
Thread gallery
44
TheAutumnCrow · 23/04/2026 20:19

AnnunciataM · 23/04/2026 20:01

Interesting Substack by Norman Baker on where the York sisters' money comes from. How on earth is Beatrice qualified to be "in the inner circle at a gathering of global energy CEOs"?
https://open.substack.com/pub/normanbaker2/p/questions-need-to-be-asked-about

I know! She styles herself as a ‘Private Equity Analyst’, which must be posh-speak for scrounger.

CathyorClaire · 23/04/2026 20:42

That history degree is doing some wide ranging lifting...

simpsonthecat · 23/04/2026 21:43

AnnunciataM · 23/04/2026 20:01

Interesting Substack by Norman Baker on where the York sisters' money comes from. How on earth is Beatrice qualified to be "in the inner circle at a gathering of global energy CEOs"?
https://open.substack.com/pub/normanbaker2/p/questions-need-to-be-asked-about

Dodgy as fuck

Honestly, reading this, they are no different to their dodgy parents. Endless gifts from oligarchs and disreputable ME people. I doubt very much they are proficient or qualified for their overblown titles. It's all bollocks

I'm sick to death of their wide-eyed innocent we haven't done anything wrong crap. No wonder they didn't want their finances and business dealings checked over by an ethics committee

OP posts:
TightlyLacedCorset · 23/04/2026 22:26

NewAgeNewMe · 22/04/2026 16:15

William should get rid of Prince and Princess and HRH unless working royals. This includes his DCs. George as heir can be HRH and a prince. Deals with Harry and his family and the yorks in one fell swoop.

I agree with the sentiment, however as regards George's siblings, I think that would be not great for immediate family relations (I am not talking about cousins, just siblings). After all, whilst you could argue that Charlotte or Louis could choose, as adults, to be working royals and gain the Princess/Prince titles for themselves, in the case of George, it is pretty much defacto. He is the firstborn heir and will definitely be the THE Prince.

It is known (as expressed in his own words) that Harry keenly felt that he was treated differently to his brother the 'Prima Donna' future King in waiting, so to speak. Can you imagine hearing your brother being told 'oh you're going to be the Prince one day' and then reading stories about princesses growing up, but mum and Dad are King and Queen but you don't have the title of Princess or Prince unless you work for it, but big brother will for certain be a Prince and everyone is deferring to him and treating him like a Prince already anyway.

So I think only the very immediate heirs of the King should continue to have titles from birth.

Everyone else no. Not even if they become working Royals. If Archie or Lillibet decide to contribute to the UK Royal institution in a meaningful way as adults by performing duties, they still don't get titles, they can be Lady or Lord. They have other titles...perhaps they can use those. That way we ensure they are not becoming working Royals for personal gain and flexing the titles for leverage. It is clear the 'Apex' titles (Prince, princess, duke, duchess) confer a lot of soft (if not hard) privilege.

In the case of A&L I personally think having titles has the ability to confer more harm than good as they live in the USA, and the USA is about commercialising and capitalising on whatever advantage you have, it's both good and bad. Americans are very positive about success, but on the other hand they can exploit anything akin to celebrity to the max. And they are enamoured with Royalty. That could be hard for A&L to negotiate and come with temptations, and they are not in the UK to understand what it really all means in practice.

So why allow it? Edward and Sophie have clearly projected themselves forward in time and thought about things like the media exposure and giving their children privacy and have not conferred titles upon their children, which is prudent.

I frankly do not understand why Charles did not make limiting titles a key legacy aspect of his reign. I'm sure newspapers were saying he was keen to do this before he became King, but then it seems to have been dropped. He seems to not be thinking long term about this, but now that both B&E seem to be exposed by their own financial improprieties, it would be a good time to enact legislation.

I guess you could argue that it might reduce the glamour and hasten the decline of the RF. That might be what he is thinking.

TheAutumnCrow · 23/04/2026 22:46

I suspect Charles is imagining that he shortly might be able to make a difference with Trump, and wants to focus on that first and foremost as his 'legacy'. While all around is chaos, including elements of his own family, Charles probably wants to present himself as a stable, peacemaking presence despite the whirling eddies around the UK and US.

And I wish him luck.

All of which I suppose serves to underline Harry's insignificance.

But I do hope Charles (and William) have some sort of plan for the royal family titles & styles debacle in the medium term.

MidWayThruJanuary · 23/04/2026 22:56

All the pomp and ceremony of the farcical state visit last September made fuck all difference. I can’t see the upcoming visit being any better.

TheAutumnCrow · 23/04/2026 23:05

MidWayThruJanuary · 23/04/2026 22:56

All the pomp and ceremony of the farcical state visit last September made fuck all difference. I can’t see the upcoming visit being any better.

I agree, but I suspect making some sort of diffference is what Charles might be imagining he can do, though, and is hoping for. He's otherwise not got much legacy in terms of his actual 'reign'.

AreYouSureAskedNaomi · 24/04/2026 06:18

Can you imagine hearing your brother being told 'oh you're going to be the Prince one day' and then reading stories about princesses growing up, but mum and Dad are King and Queen but you don't have the title of Princess or Prince unless you work for it, but big brother will for certain be a Prince and everyone is deferring to him and treating him like a Prince already anyway.

But that is how a hereditary monarchy works

It sucks for all individuals concerned IMO.

It looks like the perks are enough that heirs to the throne are happy to stay in the system regardless of what it does to their children.

TightlyLacedCorset · 24/04/2026 09:13

I agree, but at least now the siblings of the potential monarch/heir apparent have substantial titles themselves to soften the edge so to speak.

If all titles are limited to only working royals and the direct siblings of the monarch are included within that, the rub is especially severe for them as they are growing up within the same household.

As regards titles for the wider family members, Charles should not leave responsibility for this to William and burden him with having to remove titles from his niece, nephew and cousins. Let him start his reign with a fresh slate. I think he will be dealing with very much increased republican sentiment in the country as it is.

BillericayDickie · 24/04/2026 09:40

it is daft that we have 2 women who are princess, they get to use the titles and gain from them whilst giving nothing back.

Lalgarh · 24/04/2026 10:03

BBC have found in the Epstein files evidence that JE was paying rent on several flats in London after 2015.

Virginia Guiffre had told met police in 2015 that she'd been put up in a flat but as we know they'd only cursorily looked into it then closed their investigation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn08j2g9ze9o

A composite image with a monochrome image of Jeffrey Epstein on the left-hand side, wearing a dark polo shirt and looking sidelong at the camera, while behind him are images of two London flats, one showing the facade of a red-brick Edwardian mansion f...

Epstein housed abuse victims in London flats, BBC reveals

The revelations intensify concerns about repeated police decisions not to investigate 2015 trafficking claims.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn08j2g9ze9o

TheAutumnCrow · 24/04/2026 10:15

Lalgarh · 24/04/2026 10:03

BBC have found in the Epstein files evidence that JE was paying rent on several flats in London after 2015.

Virginia Guiffre had told met police in 2015 that she'd been put up in a flat but as we know they'd only cursorily looked into it then closed their investigation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn08j2g9ze9o

I’ve just read this.

What a massive bloody cover-up or cock-up by the Met. Given that evidence has pointed to AMW’s use of Buckingham Palace as part of his personal knocking-shop fiefdom, my bet is going on the former.

AreYouSureAskedNaomi · 24/04/2026 10:58

The Met are a fucking disgrace and the face of institutional misogyny

simpsonthecat · 24/04/2026 11:02

It was a massive cover up by the Met. I remember, at the time, how quickly they said there would be no investigation.

Reading that article, I am 😮

OP posts:
Lalgarh · 24/04/2026 11:27

I've seen reviews of the book London Falling (not about Epstein but the millieu of London's Russian oligarchs and gangsters) and the remarkable Flat footedness of the Met is a recurring theme

TheAutumnCrow · 24/04/2026 12:22

Lalgarh · 24/04/2026 11:27

I've seen reviews of the book London Falling (not about Epstein but the millieu of London's Russian oligarchs and gangsters) and the remarkable Flat footedness of the Met is a recurring theme

Andrew MW and the Sussexes know quite a few Russian and former Soviet state oligarchs between them.

TightlyLacedCorset · 24/04/2026 12:59

Lalgarh · 24/04/2026 10:03

BBC have found in the Epstein files evidence that JE was paying rent on several flats in London after 2015.

Virginia Guiffre had told met police in 2015 that she'd been put up in a flat but as we know they'd only cursorily looked into it then closed their investigation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn08j2g9ze9o

That is shocking. And the metropolitan police not doing a proper investigation despite so many obvious leads, confirms that doing so was either not in the state interest at the time, or sex allegations were not considered of much priority or both.

If multiple abodes were rented and more girls were being trafficked here and internally recruited here in the UK, then there are other high profile, powerful perpetrators.

Perhaps Andre is being made the main distraction.

bluegreygreen · 24/04/2026 13:06

If multiple abodes were rented and more girls were being trafficked here and internally recruited here in the UK, then there are other high profile, powerful perpetrators.
Perhaps Andre is being made the main distraction.

Which is what some of us have been saying for quite a while.

MidWayThruJanuary · 24/04/2026 16:06

I wonder if BP exerted pressure on the Met to drop any investigations. After all, they smeared and vilified Virginia Guiffre in 2019 and that statement has never been retracted.

FenellaFeldman · 24/04/2026 16:12

TheAutumnCrow · 23/04/2026 20:19

I know! She styles herself as a ‘Private Equity Analyst’, which must be posh-speak for scrounger.

😂

FenellaFeldman · 24/04/2026 16:12

TightlyLacedCorset · 24/04/2026 12:59

That is shocking. And the metropolitan police not doing a proper investigation despite so many obvious leads, confirms that doing so was either not in the state interest at the time, or sex allegations were not considered of much priority or both.

If multiple abodes were rented and more girls were being trafficked here and internally recruited here in the UK, then there are other high profile, powerful perpetrators.

Perhaps Andre is being made the main distraction.

I think you're absolutely right.

Tiddlywinks63 · 24/04/2026 19:32

Private Equity Analyst = Money Laundering Expert?

HoldMyWine · 24/04/2026 20:04

Tiddlywinks63 · 24/04/2026 19:32

Private Equity Analyst = Money Laundering Expert?

Sounds like it to me.

CathyorClaire · 24/04/2026 20:35

MidWayThruJanuary · 24/04/2026 16:06

I wonder if BP exerted pressure on the Met to drop any investigations. After all, they smeared and vilified Virginia Guiffre in 2019 and that statement has never been retracted.

Catching up and I'm going back upthread a bit but the simplest way to resolve all the made-up title nonsense is to have one elected Head of State.

As for Bea being a 'private equity analyst', her very well-hidden skills would appear to have let her down with regard to Afiniti which filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of last year.

And that's before we get on to her being comprehensively beaten on ethical stance by none other than David Cameron:

archive.ph/6ZmY2

MidWayThruJanuary · 24/04/2026 22:54

Completely agree @CathyorClaire
The time is up for the RF and all its hangers on.