Andrew - continuing his effort to end the Monarchy Part 3

[simpsonthecat]

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

I would have had sympathy but she had every opportunity to dial back her behaviour, and didn't. Having read the Rise and Fall of the Yorks, she was so so much worse than we knew about. She treated the little people awfully, using and abusing them, not paying her bills. And then her 'charitable work' where she was using donations as personal expenses. She just seemed to have no moral compass of any sort
Yes I think some of the royal family bear some responsibility for indulging her. QE2 paid off her debts time and time again, just to protect the name of the Monarchy. No one tried to rein her in so for a woman with her character, it was a green light to go ahead getting worse and worse.

Sorry you did ask for comments!

@bluegreygreen

I wasn't referring to everything that came before, but strictly to the institutional reactions to the evidence of misconduct that appeared on the Epstein files in the last few weeks - basically allegations of sharing privileged information with Epstein whilst in public office.

Police started investigating Mandelson straightaway and he was dropped by Starmer like a hot potato. The reaction to similar allegations about Andrew was slower and more reluctant.

I too have wondered about Mandelson supporting AMW's appointment as TE.

Sadly I am not surprised about Cameron's and Blair's silence.

But I AM surprised at how prominent Gordon Brown is being about this. I wonder why.

Andrew claiming for massages and excess travel costs from the taxpayer whilst TE. Course he did.

Some civil servants are whistle blowing, I hope that wave becomes a tsunami

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdr232j8kgvo

OTOH Mandelson hasn't been arrested yet.

Clearly there was too much of a culture of deference to royalty whi

BBC sitcom Ambassadors was shown in 2013.

Someone's just posted a clip elsewhere (swearing. nsfw)

But I AM surprised at how prominent Gordon Brown is being about this. I wonder why.

A lot of what's going on might be explained if it's considered a lot of politicians, from Blair onwards, consider themselves to be at real risk if Mandelson spills all the beans...

Those politicians might well have an interest in shoving AMW under the bus and they'll happily do anything to ensure MSM bandwidth and Parliamentary debate is largely concentrated on the ex- Royal....

As for arrests...I suspect AMW has made things relatively easy for the police so far...him thinking that being a Royal meant he'd never have to answer questions so why hide anything.

I suspect building a watertight case against that slippery sod Mandelson will be much harder, especially as he has, err, friends in Westminster.

After listening to more from Andrew Lownie, I think Andrew, Fergie, Beatrice and Eugenie all need to face a criminal investigation over corruption, their finances, money laundering and embezzling from charity. On top of that, I hope people and businesses they've ripped off start suing to get their money back.

I also think the royal rota needs to be scrapped. Journalists dealing with the royals need to be far more investigative and far less hand in glove.

Exactly the property sales at a loss , sunninghill and Fergies London home, I would suggest were money laundering on behalf of rich pals from the ME. I hope it is all examined.

I seem to recall that Andrew Lownie said that financial wrongdoings would spell the beginning of the end of the RF; that if the ordinary tax payer knew the depth and extent of the years of financial corruption and tax dodging and hiding wealth there would be absolute outrage.
I think he is beginning to be proven correct.

To be fair, none of this stuff is new - it's been happening for hundreds of years. The Church of England (of which King Charles is currently head) was founded specifically and only because of the adultery of the then-monarch. Read your history, people!

You don't even need to go that far back. Princess Margaret led a pretty scandalous life, even by today's terms. There are still unresolved questions about Lord Mountbatten's behaviour.

Unfortunately, the big difference here might just be that the emails couldn't be hidden.

It’s all in this article today, which is the essence of the book summarised. The key takeaway for me is that all these excesses were know by those in the RF, the Queen included, and they went unchecked. They were not brought to order by the public service nor government either, out of fear of reprisals from the monarch and an inbuilt deference. There has also been one law for the RF and one law for us and no guesses which one faces the punitive versions.

@simpsonthecat :-) “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. I think that’s what’s happened to the RF.

https://mol.im/a/15583181

I hope this is the end of the monarchy. I was never a fan of the Queen either.

I wasn't referring to everything that came before, but strictly to the institutional reactions to the evidence of misconduct that appeared on the Epstein files in the last few weeks - basically allegations of sharing privileged information with Epstein whilst in public office.
Police started investigating Mandelson straightaway and he was dropped by Starmer like a hot potato. The reaction to similar allegations about Andrew was slower and more reluctant.

@AreYouSureAskedNaomi I think that is simply self-preservation. Starmer lost 2 votes in the Commons over this, and came very close to a vote of confidence.

You will notice that the last we heard the government hadn't yet provided the Security committee with the documents it said it would release to them (so that they could decide which ones could be released to the public). For clarity, I'm talking about any documents not embargoed by the police.

Yes, and that includes the Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order - what a name - which is in the monarch's personal gift

Given to Andrew, incidentally, right after the Epstein story broke, in a monumental "two fingers" to mere commoners for daring to disoblige her son

Agree with all of that, @notimagain

And not only friends in Westminster. The 2023 FT article I linked to upthread quotes a 2019 JP Morgan report saying “Jeffrey Epstein appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew the Duke of York and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British government”.

Mandelson has always been a clever person, working behind the scenes; he was renowned for it in the days of 'New Labour'. He will know a lot about a lot of people.

On the topic of PR etc, it’s claimed the King had no idea AMW was being arrested, but clearly someone knew because there’s pap shots of the police outside the house. It just feels like that’s part of the PR starting, ‘look how much we’re co-operating and have no influence on the police’ etc.

I suspect a police source tipped off the media .

That’s what I thought, but then it was pointed out the paps would have to have been on private land as the farm is on the estate. May be completely wrong speculation though.

I agree with getting rid of the royal rota and leaving royal journalism to proper journalists.

Seward and her ilk can still write their puff pieces about how wonderful Kate’s frock is if they want. There will be a market amongst royalists.

How Their Digital Footprints Destroyed The Royals: The End Of The British Monarchy

Coming soon to bookshops everywhere!

They were discussing Catherine’s matching belt / band with William’s maroon smoking jacket at the BAFTAs on ITV Good Morning. More fool me for watching it no doubt!

No harm in that though, it’s just a normal observation, but somehow those things then tend to replace the indignation against the RF.

I agree that that royal rota is well and truly done.

To be fair, Henry Viii also saw how much money the Catholic church had and how much money was in the Monasteries ( some of it to give alms and apprenticeships to the poor, but never mind all that boring stuff) and wanted it. He died a Catholic, just not a Roman Catholic. He wanted all the church's land and cash for himself. And also to have his marriage annulled and marry his mistress. They havent changed much!

I beg your pardon??!!😲

This is news to me. I must of somehow missed this. (Not having a TV doesn't help)

And on that point @Puzzledandpissedoff it's got me questioning who was the Queen really?