Peter Hunt is a commentator on the monarchy and constitutional issues. He is a former BBC diplomatic and royal correspondent. He tweets at @_PeterHunt
The ire of the House of Windsor is on display again. So too (more worryingly for them) is their impotence. Harry and Meghan’s latest public utterances have clearly rankled with the royals the couple have left behind. From the palace’s perspective, the pair have well and truly crossed a line with their comments about the
In the Nineties, it was a husband and a wife who used supportive reporters, friendly biographers and the global reach of television to extol their own royal righteousness, as their marriage deteriorated. Now, it’s the sons of Charles and Diana who are settling scores after the searing pain of a shared bereavement failed to lash
Once upon a time, a speech by the Queen had the capacity to surprise. Only a handful of her trusted advisors would have been privy to its content prior to its delivery. Elizabeth, a Head of State who has thrived for decades by remaining above the political fray, didn’t use to indulge in extensive pre-briefing.
The silence is striking, not yet deafening. Some of the royals have engaged with the one issue that preoccupies us all. Prince William, in a video message, has launched an appeal (in collaboration with the National Emergencies Trust) to raise funds for local charities responding to the impact of coronavirus. And Harry and Meghan, via
Farewell tours tend to be the preserve of ageing rock stars. Royals, cut from the cloth of Elizabeth Windsor, are meant to keep going until they are six feet under. Harry and Meghan have torn up the script that he received at birth and she on her wedding day. In under two years, they’ve gone
It’s taken just 44 days for a royal pipe dream to well and truly bite the dust. Last month, Harry and Meghan tried to bounce the ancient institution into giving them a ‘progressive new role’ as part-time royals, part-time money makers. Harry’s 93-year-old grandmother doesn’t take kindly to being bounced or indeed being blindsided. With
The ‘third way’ of being a senior royal – representing the Queen one day, earning serious money the next, was always untenable. When Harry and Meghan first made public their desire to change the status quo they described it as a ‘progressive new role’. Critics, better versed in the workings of an ancient institution than
Prince Andrew’s humiliation is complete. For now. Who knows what lies around the corner? Despite Palace protestations to the contrary – and they’re hardly going to say otherwise – it’s extremely doubtful there’ll be a role for the Queen’s son at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday; at the annual Trooping the Colour; or when the
