All the latest analysis of the day's news and stories
One of Liz Truss’s suggestions on the leadership campaign trail was that her economic agenda could avoid recession. But one of the (many) gambles attached to these comments was what had already happened to the economy before she entered No. 10. This morning we got some more insight about how the economy fared over the
The Brandenburg Gate has often reflected the state of the German nation. Throughout the centuries, Berlin’s iconic landmark has been a symbol of victory, defeat, unity, division and restoration. It has even reflected Germany’s energy crisis, no longer lit in order to save electricity. But on Friday night it shone brightly once more: in red,
It is an almost unquestioned orthodoxy that war is hell, and that every needless death in a needless war diminishes our common stock of humanity. It’s curious, though, how we’re able to hold that conviction alongside a positively visceral excitement at watching the Ukrainian counter-offensive carve its way through the Kharkiv Oblast. Some 3,000 square
As Her Majesty the Queen embarks on her final journey south, many in Westminster are preparing to attend the Lying-in-State for the monarch. This will take place in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, at the heart of British government. The Queen will lie in state here for four full days
Russia is retreating at speed along the Kharkiv front, leaving behind burnt-out tanks and, even more tellingly, undamaged ones, too. There are television images of locals welcoming Ukrainian forces and accounts from eyewitnesses on the spot – but none of that has made it into Russian state media. As the Kremlin struggles to find some
What began as a probing attack by Ukrainian mechanised forces towards the occupied town of Balakliia on 7 September has, with astonishing swiftness, turned into one of the most emphatic military victories in modern history. Having found a weak point in the Russian lines at Balakliia, Ukrainian forces swiftly advanced overnight to the town of Volokhiv
As the Union Jack was run down the flagpole at Kenya’s independence in December 1963, Prince Philip said to Jomo Kenyatta, ‘Are you sure about this? It’s not too late to change your mind.’ Our founding president let that gaffe pass, which was quite amazing only a few years after the British suppression of the
The Queen loved the royal train. The Royal yacht was a luxury that was more for show than convenience but the train was a unique way for her to travel in comfort and without the hassle of flying. Modestly fitted out in a seventies vinyl panelled style with little extra decor, the Royal Train suited
Anthony Albanese – No republic during my first term Tributes to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II have continued to pour in from across the world. On the morning that her coffin begins the journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh, so that she may lie in state at St. Giles’ Cathedral, Sky News’ Cordelia Lynch sat down
There is extraordinary news from Ukraine this weekend. An offensive in Kharkiv region, bordering Russia on the northwest, has stunned Russia – which had been moving troops south to defend against Ukraine’s Kherson offensive. Kharkiv region has been left only lightly defended by Russia: Moscow had assumed that Ukraine didn’t have the military strength to open
‘The demands on a Prince of Wales have altered,’ 20-year-old Charles said at his Caernarfon investiture in 1969, with some trepidation. ‘But I am determined to serve and to try as best I can to live up to those demands, whatever they might be in the rather uncertain future.’ Half a century later that future
The Queen has received deserved tributes from both monarchists and republicans for her extraordinary achievements in the role for which she became unexpectedly destined aged ten and later inherited at the equally unforeseen age of just 26. But she recognised more than anyone the vital part played by her husband Prince Philip, Britain’s longest-serving consort,
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the new Tolkien-inspired TV series on Amazon Prime is already the most expensive television series in history. Amazon paid $250 million up-front for the rights, and has reportedly committed a billion dollars to future production. The fact a business as canny as Amazon would commit that
The tribute paid by France to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been heartfelt, fulsome and moving. French media across the board have paid generous homage, as though to one of their finest, to Britain’s longest serving monarch – surpassed in world history only by Louis XIV acceding as a babe-in-arms. This vicarious Panthéonisation was
Perhaps the most powerful tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s success is that, at the time of her death, republicanism remains a fringe cause in Britain. Today we mourn the end of her unique reign, yet the immediate future of the Crown is secure because of the admiration she inspired. Without her steadfast, reassuring presence on the
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Freddy Gray speaks to Nicholas Eberstadt, author of Men Without Work, about why, despite good employment figures, American men aren’t working in the same way they used to.
On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign. I, however, have lost a grandmother. And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I
Without Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, there would be no Commonwealth today at all. Long after the organisation had lost its charm for both British progressives, who increasingly saw it as an imperial hangover, and conservatives, dismissive of what they viewed as a grouping of ex-colonials asking for money and making awkward demands,
King Charles III gave us plenty to reflect on with his first speech last night. He spoke movingly about his mother, but also gave us an indication about how he sees his role and that of the monarchy – which will matter greatly as he starts to put his own mark on the royal family,
Our Lunchtime Espresso newsletter brings up to date news and analysis to more than 110,000 inboxes every weekday. It’s a collaborative effort, using every resource available at The Spectator, and providing insight into the biggest stories across current affairs, news and the economy from Britain’s best writers, as well as detailing the bigger picture abroad.
Thursday was a curious day for us all. Anyone watching the news was treated to the complexity of commentators trying desperately hard not to say the thing that everyone watching knew was happening: that the Queen was dying, and was possibly already dead. The black ties around the presenters’ necks, the emergency flights from London
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Freddy Gray, The Spectator‘s deputy editor, is joined by our former editor Charles Moore, and our political editor James Forsyth, to discuss the Queen’s death. What was her coronation like? Should unionists be concerned? How important was the Queen’s faith to her? What do we miss about the Queen?
King Charles III has been proclaimed monarch of the United Kingdom. At a ceremony at St James’s Palace – attended by 250 dignitaries, including privy councillors and high commissioners of Commonwealth states – the Accession Council formally proclaimed the new sovereign. This is the first time the ancient ceremony, which has not been held for
The Queen’s fragile smile in the official photograph released as she waited to appoint Liz Truss as her 15th Prime Minister carries even more meaning now. Her Majesty clearly knew there would be no 16th and after a turbulent summer it must have come as a relief to know that the country was about to move
The Queen and Prince Philip had written their names in the visitors’ book at a country house where I was a weekend guest; my hostess, a member of a family with a long and storied lineage, had been an intimate of the Royal Family for decades. But at dinner, I nearly choked on my Beef
Archbishop Justin Welby has done a good job of relating the Queen’s virtues to her Christian faith. This is no easy task. The writers of the New Testament would have been very surprised by the notion that a monarch could be an exemplary Christian. And any sensible Christian leader is mindful that monarchs should be
I speak to you today with feelings of profound sorrow. Throughout her life, Her Majesty the Queen – my beloved mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and
This evening King Charles III addressed the nation for the first time as sovereign. He reflected on his mother’s life-long service and pledged to do the same, saying: ‘As the Queen herself did with such unswerving devotion, I too now solemnly pledge myself throughout the remaining time God grants me, to uphold the constitutional principles
Balmoral, where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away yesterday afternoon, was one of her favourite places to be. Queen Elizabeth inherited Queen Victoria’s love of the castle, and its surrounding estate, spending up to two months at her Highland retreat every summer throughout her long reign, with childhood visits before that. I had the good fortune of
That so many people have wanted to say something about how the Queen touched their lives, whether or not they met her, shows quite how powerful her service was. The tributes this afternoon in the House of Commons were moving because they showed the breadth of that service, from the way she carried out her
It is a mark of the Queen’s standing that even Vladimir Putin, in the midst of an undeclared economic and political war between Russia and the West, sent King Charles III his ‘deepest condolences’ after Her Majesty’s death. The Russian leader noted that: ‘The most important events in the recent history of the United Kingdom
Having taken the Queen’s remarkable longevity, good health and work ethic for granted right until the end, might her subjects now appreciate her approach to life? Because through her combination of sheer graft – she received Liz Truss to kiss hands two days before she died – and her attitudes towards health, leisure and emotional
There’s a grim mood in parliament today. Across the House, MPs are queuing up to pay tribute to Her Majesty with Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer delivering two noticeably excellent speeches. But some light relief on this dark day has been offered by recollections of the Queen’s sense of humour and ability to make people