God Bless This Feudal Land

England circa 1789
The Guardian view on King Charles and the Duchy of Lancaster: feudalism reigns in the north-west: The secret exploitation of dead people’s assets to upgrade the monarch’s estate must come to an end »

‘The monarchy looks vulnerable’: will Britain’s republicans bring down the king?: Every day, we learn more about the royals’ colonial legacy and financial privileges – and it has given a huge boost to the republican movement »

Likening them to Roman emperors, the self-confessed anti-monarchist says she sympathises with British royals who live with anxiety: The Royal family is trapped in misery, according to Prof Mary Beard, who likened their plight to that of Roman emperors. »

I Thought I Knew Royal Greed – but King Charles Profiting from the Assets of the Dead Is a Disgusting New Low

THE GUARDIAN: For decades, parliament has been far too lenient about the royal family’s finances. This avaricious practice needs to end

‘Over the centuries, the royals have continually bleated poverty and demanded more money from the taxpayer.’ Photograph: Reuters
As a royal author, I have come across plentiful examples of royal greed. It is standard practice for the royals to seek to minimise their personal expenditure while maximising their income from other sources, normally the public purse.

But the revelation that King Charles III’s personal slush fund, the Duchy of Lancaster, is having its already bulging coffers augmented by the estates of people who die in parts of England with historical links to the royal estate plumbs new depths of disgusting avarice.

Like many so-called traditions, the feudal hangover that is bona vacantia should have been consigned to the dustbin of history centuries ago, but it has been all too tempting for successive royals to preserve this royal fruit machine that pays out again and again. Over the past 10 years, it has collected more than £60m.

Under this system, the Duchy of Cornwall, owned by Prince William, can claim the assets of people who die in Cornwall intestate – without a will – if no relatives can be found. Charles’s Duchy of Lancaster does the same when their last known residence is within what was historically known as Lancashire county palatine. » | Norman Baker | Friday, November 24, 2023

As I have said before, it’s a case of gold, diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires for the royal family, and millions upon millions and millions per annum in pounds, but for the people, a few crumbs will have to do. And you’re lucky to get a few of those! Scratch around under your master’s table; collect what you can! According to French legend, at least Marie Antoinette had the generosity of spirit to tell the French peasants to eat cake!

Many years ago, I had the privilege of living for four years in Zürich, Switzerland. And what a great privilege that was! And what an eye-opener, too! A far superior way of life; and a far superior mentality as well. I so wish that this country could be run like Switzerland is run. There, it is taken for granted that it is not only the privileged few who deserve to live the good life. La dolce vita is afforded the many.

I have never heard of the working poor in Switzerland having to go to food banks to put food on the table for their young children. Nor have I heard of people being homeless and sleeping rough on the streets. So, if the Swiss are able to achieve such high standards, why can’t we?

There is something so grotesque and repulsive seeing a few people at the top of our society being able to live in grand splendour whilst the rest of us are expected simply to look on, fawn, and be grateful for small mercies.

One would have thought that in the twenty-first century, things would have turned out differently. I am not actually a republican, but when it comes to royalty, the government (of whatever stripe and hue) can find no end of money; yet when it comes, for example, to the triple lock, it is said to be unsustainable. Unsustainability is not a problem, however, when it comes to the finincing of the super-privileged lifestyles of the royal family.

This is the sad state of our once proud, Imperial nation. – © Mark Alexander

Nazi Party Membership Card of Dutch Royal Confirmed as Authentic

GUARDIAN EUROPE: German-born Prince Bernhard, late grandfather of King Willem-Alexander, had denied being a paid party member

A scan of Prince Bernhard’s Nazi party membership card. Bernhard, husband of the former queen Juliana, had insisted until his death in 2004 that he had never been a Nazi. Photograph: Royal Collections, The Hague/AFP/Getty Images
The royal household of the Netherlands has confirmed the authenticity of a Nazi membership card belonging to the Dutch king’s grandfather, bringing an end to the decades-long suspicions that had swirled around Prince Bernhard.

Claims of ties between Bernhard, a German aristocrat who married into the Dutch royal family in the 1930s, and the Nazi party surfaced in the late 1990s after a Dutch historian said he had found a copy of the card in a US archive.

Bernhard, who was prince consort until 1980, adamantly denied being a Nazi. “I can swear with my hand on the Bible: I have never been a Nazi,” Bernhard, then 93, told the national daily newspaper De Volkskrant in an interview shortly before his death in 2004. “I never paid for party membership. I never had a membership card.”

He did, however, acknowledge that he had been a member of several Nazi military units, describing it as a necessity for men of his age at the time. » | Ashifa Kassam, European Community affairs correspondent and agencies | Friday, October 6, 2023

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Princess Anne’s Influence, and Workload, Rises in a Slimmed-Down Royal Family

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Often appearing at more than 400 events a year, Anne is likely to become even more central as a trusted adviser to her brother, the king.

Princess Anne at Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, on Saturday. | Pool photo by Andrew Milligan
LONDON — The day after she walked behind the coffin of her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in London, Princess Anne flew to Glasgow in Scotland on Thursday to meet with city officials, accept condolences from Glaswegians and inspect wreaths left in honor of the sovereign, who died last week.

It was the kind of yeoman’s duty that Anne, now 72, has carried out, uncomplainingly, for decades. The only daughter of Elizabeth and the younger sister of King Charles III, Anne has famously been one of the hardest workers in the royal family, often logging more than 400 public events a year.

Owing to the laws of primogeniture, she is 16th in the line of succession to the throne. But that understates her influence in the royal family, where she is a trusted adviser to Charles, and her stature with the public, where her approval ratings have been higher than any of the surviving senior royals, save Prince William and his wife, Princess Catherine. » | Mark Landler | Thursday, September 15, 2022

The Guardian View on Monarchy as Religion: Parliament Should Not Bend the Knee

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: In a secular age, it is easier to disavow God than the monarchy. That has cowed politicians when they should be braver about reforming royalty

The advent of King Charles III brings about a sense of change – and foreboding.’ Photograph: WPA/Getty
The departure of one monarch and the arrival of another raises the question of what Britain has lost in the transition. The death of the Queen feels to some like the loss not of bearings but of the nation’s compass itself. Monarchy is a form of religion. In a secular age, it is easier to disavow God than the monarchy. Plainly much of the country is grief-stricken, though the proportion who were unmoved or critical is unknown. But the advent of King Charles III brings about a sense of change – and foreboding.

Even among the more detached, touched by unsuspected sorrow, the new sovereign will gain support. But the new King is not as popular with the public as his mother. That is a problem for Charles III and the institution he heads because in a democracy monarchies depend on public consent. One only has to look at Prince Andrew. The King’s younger brother’s ill-fated BBC Newsnight interview – in which he defended his association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – saw his approval ratings sink to 7%. Walking behind his mother’s coffin on Monday is a rare public outing for a prince who was once second in line to the throne. » | Editorial | Monday, March 12, 2022

How the Royal Family Is Changing before Our Very Eyes

It Wasn’t Just the Queen: The Whole Royal Family Knifed Prince Andrew

Andrew has been stripped of almost every royal privilege | LONDON NEWS PICTURES
THE TIMES: After years of indecision, the Firm finally acted against the duke — and all his siblings were involved

Christmas was meant to be very different for the royal family.

Before Omicron, the Queen had hopes of her first family gathering since the pandemic at Sandringham, her Norfolk home; a celebration to end her lockdown isolation and lift her spirits after a year of loss, grief and choppy royal waters. She also had plans for a “Sandringham summit — the sequel” to solve the “Andrew problem”.

Just as the monarch, the Prince of Wales, and the dukes of Cambridge and Sussex gathered in January 2020 to negotiate Harry and Meghan’s future outside of the royal fold, so the Queen hoped to knock royal heads together once more.

Instead, Prince Charles and the Earl of Wessex joined their mother at Windsor Castle for Christmas, … » | Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor | Saturday, January 15, 2022 [£]

Lawsuit Is Devastating Blow for Prince Andrew – and the Royal Family

THE GUARDIAN: Analysis: Win or lose, sexual assault case is unprecedented chapter in royal family’s modern history

Prince Andrew now faces the ignominious prospect of having to give evidence in a sex assault lawsuit and face cross-examination on aspects of his private life to clear his name. Photograph: Steve Parsons/AP
The New York court ruling that the civil sex assault case against the Duke of York will proceed is a devastating blow for Prince Andrew and the royal family after more than a decade of allegation and innuendo.

Aside from any appeal Prince Andrew may be able to mount against Wednesday’s ruling, he faces the ignominious prospect of having to give evidence in a sex assault lawsuit and face cross-examination on aspects of his private life to clear his name. Win or lose, it is an unprecedented chapter in the royal family’s modern history.

One option to avoid this uncomfortable scenario would be to reach a settlement, though such is the momentum of this case worldwide it seems unlikely this could satisfactorily rehabilitate his reputation. » | Caroline Davies | Wednesday, January 12, 2022

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Prince Andrew’s Uncertain Legal Fate Casts Shadow on Britain’s Royals

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As Queen Elizabeth II prepares to mark 70 years on the throne this year, a sexual abuse case in a Manhattan court involving her son could mean more turmoil for the royal family.

LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II will mark 70 years on the throne in February, a milestone unmatched by any British sovereign and a chance to turn the page on three years of ceaseless turmoil in the royal family. But a sexual-abuse lawsuit unfolding in a Manhattan courtroom could yet spoil her celebration.

On Tuesday, lawyers for the queen’s second son, Prince Andrew, asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, in which she claims that Andrew, a friend of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, raped her when she was 17.

It was the latest in a skein of legal maneuvers by the prince’s lawyers to defuse Ms. Giuffre’s case. While the judge, Lewis A. Kaplan, did not immediately rule on the motion, leaving Andrew’s legal fate unsettled for now, the hearing dramatized the shadow that the 61-year-old prince still casts over his family.

If the judge allows the case to go forward, Andrew could face damaging testimony from Ms. Giuffre about his alleged abuse of her at Mr. Epstein’s residences in New York and in the Caribbean. That would plunge the House of Windsor back into scandal at the very moment it hopes to use the Platinum Jubilee to remind Britons of the queen’s extraordinary longevity and largely blemish-free record of service.

The 70-minute hearing gave a glimpse into the kinds of issues that could spill out in a prolonged trial. At one point, Prince Andrew’s lead lawyer, Andrew B. Brettler, argued that Ms. Giuffre had not been specific in her allegations against him. Judge Kaplan replied that she claimed she had been subjected to “involuntary sexual intercourse” and asked what was not clear about that. » | Mark Landler | Tuesday, January 4, 2022

What Ghislaine Maxwell's Conviction Means for Britain's Royal Family l GMA

Dec 31, 2021 • Lawyers for Britain's Prince Andrew are due in court next week as he battles lawsuits brought by an Epstein accuser not part of the criminal case against Maxwell.


Prince Andrew ‘cannot prove’ his inability to sweat after request by Virginia Giuffre’s lawyers »

Donald Trump Accuses Meghan of Disrespect towards Royal Family

THE GUARDIAN: Former president says Prince Harry ‘has been used horribly’ in interview with Nigel Farage

The former US president Donald Trump has accused the Duchess of Sussex of being “disrespectful” to the Queen and the royal family.

In a wide-ranging interview with the politician turned broadcaster Nigel Farage, Trump said he thought the Duke of Sussex had been “used horribly”.

The interview with Trump, 75, whose presidency ended in January 2021, took place in Florida on Monday and will be broadcast on GB News.

Speaking about Meghan, Trump said: “I’m not a fan of hers. I wasn’t from day one. I think Harry has been used horribly and I think some day he will regret it.”

According to GB News, he added: “I think Harry’s been used and been used terribly. I think it’s ruined his relationship with his family, and it hurts the Queen.” » | Jamie Grierson | Wednesday, November 1, 2021

Japan's Princess Mako Marries Commoner, Gives Up Royal Title

Oct 26, 2021 • Japan's Princess Mako has married her non-royal college sweetheart Kei Komuro, formally giving up her royal status. The couple held a low-key wedding, after years of criticism and media scrutiny over their relationship. The pair will now be moving to the US where Komuro works as a lawyer. Al Jazeera’s Priyanka Gupta reports.

'They're Turning the Royal Family into a Walmart with a Crown on': Meghan Markle's Father Thomas Launches an Extraordinary TV Attack on Megxit as He Tells Channel 5 Documentary That the Sussexes Are 'Cheapening' the Royals by Quitting

MAIL ONLINE: Thomas Markle spoke exclusively to Channel 5 in a new television documentary / He describes Meghan and Harry's behaviour as embarrassing in the interview / He says: 'This is one of the greatest institutions ever. They are destroying it'

The Duchess of Sussex's estranged father has spoken in depth for the first time about the Megxit crisis – and accused his daughter of 'cheapening' the Royal Family and throwing away 'every girl's dream' for money.

In a TV documentary, Thomas Markle describes Meghan and Harry's behaviour as embarrassing, says they are 'turning into lost souls' and, in a reference to a discount American supermarket giant, adds: 'They are turning it [the Royal Family] into a Walmart with a crown on.'

He added: 'This is not the girl I raised.'

Mr Markle's intervention in the monarchy's worst crisis for a generation came as the Queen's top aides finalised a deal for the couple, who are quitting as frontline Royals and leaving Britain to seek financial independence.

He tells the Channel 5 documentary: 'When they got married they took on an obligation, and the obligation is to be part of the Royals and to represent the Royals. And it would be foolish for them not to.
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'This is one of the greatest long-living institutions ever. They are destroying it, they are cheapening it, making it shabby… they shouldn't be doing this.' » | Ian Gallagher for the ‘Mail On Sunday’ | Saturday, January 18, 2020


Royal pundits react »

Harry and Meghan Say They’ll 'Step Back' from Life as Senior Royals | ITV News

Harry and Meghan have signalled their intention to "step back" as senior members of the royal family and become financially independent.

The pair will continue to "fully support" the Queen, whilst splitting their time between both the United Kingdom and North America, where they have just spent several weeks on holiday.

Announcing their resignation from front line royal duties, the couple revealed the decision comes after "many months of reflection and internal discussions".

The couple will continue to "honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages" after standing down.

Prince Andrew’s Friendship With Epstein Joins a List of Royal Scandals

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A highly scorned televised interview by the prince was only the latest upheaval to befall Britain’s royal family over the past century.

LONDON — The British monarchy has survived public crises before — religious schisms, revolutions, murderous kings — but this week the royal family scrambled to confront a relatively new opponent: the embarrassing televised interview.

The Duke of York, better known as Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, struggled to defend himself during a < ahref=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/17/world/europe/prince-andrew-epstein.html?module=inline target=_blank>50-minute interview with the BBC as he talked about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier accused of sex trafficking.

His interview, widely criticized in the British press as disastrous after it was broadcast last weekend, catapulted a long-simmering controversy into a full-blown scandal for the royal family, among the worst in its modern history.

Reacting to the backlash, the prince announced on Wednesday that he was indefinitely stepping away from public life, with permission from the queen. But over the past century, a number of scandals have rattled the British royal family. » | Megan Specia and Alan Yuhas | Thursday, November 21, 2019

Prince William Worried about Harry after TV Interview Discussing Their 'Rift', Source Claims

THE TELEGRAPH: The Duke of Cambridge has been left concerned for the wellbeing of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, it is claimed, after the couple told a television audience of millions of their personal unhappiness and a rift in the Royal Family.

The Duke is said to be “worried” about his younger brother, who on Sunday night publicly confirmed the siblings are on “different paths” and spending less time together.

A palace source told the BBC of household fears the Sussexes are in a “fragile place”, with Prince William hoping they “are alright” after Prince Harry unexpectedly laid bare details of their private relationship in a television documentary.

Acknowledging a “rift” in conversation with friend and broadcaster Tom Bradby on ITV, Prince Harry admitted "inevitably stuff happens" under the pressure of royal life.

His decision to speak about the brothers’ relationship immediately placed them at the centre of a worldwide conversation, detailed on the front page of five leading British newspapers and headline news on radio and television from the Today programme to Loose Women. » | Hannah Furness, Royal Correspondent | Monday, October 21, 2019

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor – What's in a Name?

THE GUARDIAN: Forenames of Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby son are far from traditional

The decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to call their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor came as a surprise to many.

The forenames are far from traditional for the royal family, which may be exactly why the couple, anxious for their son to have as normal an upbringing as possible, chose them. While there are courtesy titles they could have used, such as the Earl of Dumbarton, they have chosen not to do so for now, according to palace sources.

The name Archie – a shortened version of Archibald, which is of German origin and means “genuine”, “bold” and “brave” – has become increasingly popular. According to the Office for National Statistics, it was the 18th most popular in the UK in 2017, while Harrison came in at 34th. » | Caroline Davies | Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Prince Eddy, The King We Never Had

This revealing film uses newly discovered letters written by Prince Eddy himself to explore whether his early death saved Britain from a monster, or cheated the nation of a good king. For the first time, Eddy's own words serve in his defence in a fresh investigation of the remarkable kind Britain never had.