How depressingly predictable that the authorised-but-not-authorised account of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘s rupture with the Royal Family (and with this country) should rest on the charge of ‘snobbery’. The authors of Finding Freedom — though Nelson Mandela this ain’t — claim that Prince Harry never got over the impression that his brother had … Read more
ANDREW PIERCE: Ex-deputy takes her revenge on ‘Squeaker’ John Bercow By Andrew Pierce for the Daily Mail Published: 23:42 BST, 26 July 2020 | Updated: 23:54 BST, 26 July 2020 When the next list of working peers is announced, one name will be conspicuously absent. Sensationally, John Bercow is the first Speaker in 230 years … Read more
Day three of the extracts and already many of us are royally keen to find freedom from Finding Freedom: the new book that charts the desperate flight of a family of refugees from the ermine-clad clutches of the British monarchy. The suffering of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have fled from a luxurious … Read more
Just what was going through Prince William’s mind when he sat down with his brother to discuss Harry’s fast-moving romance with actress Meghan Markle? Deep bonds of interdependence that go beyond the normal ties of kinship have framed their relationship ever since that heart-stopping moment when they lost their mother almost 23 years ago. Theirs was … Read more
Apparently, it was this year’s Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey that was the final straw for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. According to the authors of Finding Freedom: ‘After the service, Meghan flew back to Canada to return to Archie. ‘Meg just wanted to get home,’ said a friend, noting that the Duchess … Read more
Today, we are witnessing the slow destruction of Harry, a much-loved Prince, and it is a tragedy. Far away from his family and friends, out of place in the California sunshine, he is an awkward and uncomfortable figure in the woke video sermons he now issues with his wife. The fun-loving young man we used … Read more
MAUREEN LIPMAN: Alone in my tiny courtyard, I’m watching the small but perfect walled garden in full bloom. Hydrangeas, eh?
In the Cold War television thriller Deutschland 83, there’s a scene in which a young East German spy is ordered to photograph a report in the possession of Nato’s top analyst. After breaking into his hotel room, the spy finds the report is stored on a floppy disk. Having sent it back across the Iron … Read more
We can’t say we weren’t warned, can we? The streets of London — and other big cities too — are swarming with Russian spooks. Some of them much scarier than others. The sort who might jab Russia‘s enemies with the poisoned tip of an umbrella or smear a deadly nerve agent on a door handle. … Read more
There is much that is bafflingly random about the way lockdown is slowly being lifted. Why is it, for example, that I can fly to Torremolinos in a tightly packed metal tube, breathing in other people’s fumes for the best part of three hours solid — but am prevented from sitting in an air-conditioned auditorium? … Read more