David dimbleby

Thursday

Robert Hardman

Why British diplomacy needs the royals

Watching David Dimbleby watching the royal family, I am instantly reminded of the BBC’s other royal David. It is pure Attenborough as he examines the exotic plumage and rituals of rex Windsorianus in its natural habitat. In this week’s first episode of What’s the Monarchy For?, a three-part study of the sovereign for BBC1, Dimbleby examines royal power, engagingly prodding and poking fun at both sides. However, it ends as it starts, with our host still scratching his head. The monarchy is the first thing much of the world thinks about when it thinks about Britain Perhaps we will have an answer by the end of the final episode. For

Tuesday

Steerpike

Another Dimbleby heads to Westminster

Westminster is synonymous with the word ‘Dimbleby’, the surname of Britain’s premier broadcasting family. It was here that patriarch Richard cemented his reputation commenting on George VI’s lying-in-state in 1952 and where his two sons Jonathan and David both made their careers on countless BBC and ITV political programmes and all night election specials.  But since the brothers retired from their long running programmes Any Questions and Question Time in 2019 SW1 has been sadly bereft of a Dimbleby – unless you include David’s eldest son and Leon co-founder Henry who leads the National Food Strategy. All that however is about to change as David’s youngest son Fred is set to move to