How the Royal family gets away with it
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is a global production. The House of Windsor has taken yet another battering this week. All over the world, allegations from Princess Diana's own brother that the king himself was giddy at her death. That he told Earl Spencer in the hours after her tragic car crash in Paris in 1997 that her sons would forget her soon enough. On paper, pulpit or otherwise, you might I think that that could be enough at least to wound a monarch whose own ascension was almost halted by the toxin which flowed from the Diana marriage and her demise. And yet it hasn't really. The battering is felt a light toasting at best.
What allegation did Earl Spencer make about King Charles after Diana’s death?
Why? The passage of time, the peers dimension, isn't there always one? Or is it something else? The power of the media to still relentlessly mediate. Royal Stories, an alliance between palace and press, which affects royal coverage in ways most of us don't ever even see. Andrew Lowney has seen that process at the sharp end. He's one of the few writers and journalists about royal affairs who can't be placed neatly into the category of courtier. His book, entitled A Biography of the Former Duke and Duchess of York, became a bestseller because it's spared no royal blushes and applied scrutiny, which we rarely see, exposing Andrew and Fergie as well, the entitled figures that they then were. So we thought what better week to invite Andrew into the newsagent studio, that's Andrew Loyne, to assess how damaging has this book been?
What is the state of the House of Windsor now? And how does the palace work with press to curate our monarchs and princes? Welcome to the news agents. The news agents. Well, Andrew Louni, uh, welcome back to the news agents. Um, let's just actually start. Very, very clear. Do you believe Earl Spencer?
Yes, I do. I think broadly speaking, I've only read half the book, but I mean broadly speaking I think he's telling the truth. This was a good opportunity to challenge the narrative that we've been fed for the last thirty years, and I think that's what he wanted to do. I think the problem is he's been let down by some sloppy editing and poor legal work, and so he has to take responsibility clearly for the mistakes he's made, but uh you know, those should have been picked up. And so I think the sad thing is that the the message that he had was is a kind of been diluted and indeed in some ways has been destroyed by by the fact that he has made some very silly mistakes in the book.
Um I suppose the natural thing to us would be What's the point of it? I mean it's so long ago. I mean of course he's got the right to write a book about his sister if he wishes, but
Well I think his argument well his argument is there's going to be a lot coming out next year for the anniversary. I mean I know dozens of books lined up, television programs. And you know, everyone wants to kind of shape the the shape the historical record. He he wants to get his version of Vents out before uh I think as he honestly said, before the T V programs and and the books in which he has no control bring out a slightly different version. Uh that that seems to me a perfectly genuine reason. I mean after all that's why politicians and generals write their memoirs.
Andrew, I mean we've talked um before about um Prince Andrew, or formerly known as Prince Andrew, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Um and, you know, as scandals go In the royal family. How does this compare?
Oh how does it compare uh w what the Charles Spencer with the the Andrew one?
Let me let me rephrase it. I mean how obviously the royal family have been going through plenty of turbulence in recent years, it always feels as they are in one way or another. Even in the king's short reign, um, there have been lots of scandals, lots of problems. How does this compare to all of those, would you say? Or will it just disappear?
No, I think this is just another nick in in the whole institution and it's it's kinda begin to begin to snowball depending on how they respond. You know, I think the Andrew thing is very serious because it was about endemic corruption within the institution itself, not just two rogue apples there.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–0:43
2
What allegation did Earl Spencer make about King Charles after Diana’s death?
0:43–5:24
3
How does Andrew Lowney’s biography challenge the royal narrative?
5:24–11:04
4
What does the palace’s “never complain, never explain” motto really mean in practice?
11:04–18:16
5
How does the royal press operation shape public perception of the monarchy?
18:16–24:30
6
Why did the palace’s statement on Spencer’s claim avoid an outright denial?
24:30–31:11
7
What are the key facts behind the Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor scandal?
31:11–36:15
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The News Agents
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