This year, royal reporter Richard Palmer left the Daily Express. There’s been a lot of turnover in the royal rota over the past year, and someone (hilariously) claimed that King Charles’s slimmed-down monarchy is really a slimmed-down rota. Still, the rot at the heart of the rota system remains, and Palmer is still getting “jobs.” I don’t know if he’s now got a real gig with the Mail or whether this new column was his audition, but it’s pretty funny: “As Kate’s absence leaves a gaping hole in the monarchy… what Harry and Meghan could learn from the quiet royals who are keeping The Firm going.” Yes, Harry and Meghan left more than four years ago, but they should “learn” from the left-behind Windsors. Honestly though – I think the original headline was “what William and Kate could learn” and the Mail changed it. Some highlights:
Kate’s Trooping rehearsal absence: The announcement by the Palace last week that the Princess of Wales will not be present for the traditional rehearsal of Trooping the Colour was not a particular surprise. As much as I am sure she treasures her role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Irish Guards and would have loved to be present for the formal review of ‘her’ troops on June 8, Kate will be keen to focus on her recovery as she continues cancer treatment.
Kate’s larger absence: Her absence will again leave a gaping hole at the heart of the Royal Family. It remains unclear whether or not she will lift everyone’s spirits by joining her family for the actual event on June 15. We will have King Charles, who is continuing his own cancer treatment, waving from the Buckingham Palace balcony – but he will not appear on horseback as he has in previous years. That too is no surprise. In the past few months, as His Majesty’s reign has been blown off course by illness, it has been the quieter royals who have kept the firm going.
The Sussexes should have stuck around! If they hadn’t walked away from the monarchy in 2020, Harry and Meghan would have been key figures in this troubled period – and others who are now front and centre might not even have a role. In fact, their attitude could certainly teach the Sussexes – ensconced in their California mansion – a thing or two. It also contrasts with the Prince and Princess of Wales, who for years have been advocating a style that involves fewer public outings but a great deal of social media exposure.
How much things have changed: A decade ago, senior royal aides were telling me that the view inside the Palace was that neither Edward, his wife Sophie, nor Andrew would have a role to play when Charles became King. But Edward, 60, who famously quit the Royal Marines in 1987 a third of the way through the 12-month commando training course, has seen his star rise dramatically – as Andrew’s has plummeted.
The Waleses’ selective approach to work: William and Kate’s more selective approach to royal duties and their passionate campaigning may well be something that will appeal to younger people and make the monarchy more relevant. It is something that should be supported. But it seems clear that the Firm is going to need royals like Anne, Edward, Sophie and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in future to cover the hard yards. Under a future King William V in, say, 20 years’ time, it’s not easy to see who that might be. By then, the working Royal Family might be down to William, Kate, George, Charlotte and Louis. Many more charities and other organisations will have to forgo royal support unless there is someone prepared to do the heavy lifting.
“In fact, their attitude could certainly teach the Sussexes – ensconced in their California mansion – a thing or two.” Basically, IF the Sussexes had stuck around, we STILL would have been complaining because they wouldn’t be doing “royal work” the right way, like Prince Edward! Again… more than four years after the Sussexes left. Basically, Harry and Meghan’s names are used in the headline but the actual criticism is for William and Kate’s “reinventing the wheel” royal work, in which Kate has been MIA for nearly six months and William has done f–k all for years. Anyway, curious times in the rota, huh?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Meghan Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge at the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force, Buckingham Palace, London, UK on Tuesday 10th July 2018,Image: 515596973, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Keith Mayhew/Retna / Avalon
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- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave after a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Friday, June 3, 2022 on the second of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.,Image: 696653379, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Matt Dunham / Avalon
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- Prince Harry leaving Westminster following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in central London, UK on May 6, 2023. Photo by Raphael Lafargue/ABACAPRESS.COM Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The British Royal family make an appearence on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Coronation Featuring: King Charles III, Queen Camilla Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- The British Royal family make an appearence on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Coronation Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- The British Royal family make an appearence on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Coronation Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince Louis Where: London, United Kingdom When: 06 May 2023 Credit: Cover Images
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- (180711) — LONDON, July 11, 2018 () — Britain’s Prince William (3rd L), Duke of Cambridge, and his wife Catherine (2nd L), Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry (5th L), Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan (4th L), Duchess of Sussex, attend a service at Westminster Abbey to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in London, Britain on July 10, 2018. (/Ray Tang) (ly)
If H&M “worked” the way the “working” royals do they would be broke and begging to be back on public money the way the RR fantasize about.
That comment really explains why they truly believe H&M would come running back. They can’t conceive that someone would do it differently and actually, y’know, do things.
Right and be successful. The only reason the others stayed behind is because they had no other choice. They are dull and any of them that tried their hand in the private sector have failed (looking at you, Sophie and Edward). So, no, the Sussexes are doing just fine and hopefully Charlotte and Louis will learn from them as they get older and see how the game is played.
The ROYALS working? That is an oxymoron. What work? Cutting ribbons, expecting flower blooms and garden, feting other royalties are not work.— they’re luxurious lifestyles. Grrrrr🤮😡
It’s “not” Opposite Day?!
Though everything circles back to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex- i am enjoying the jabs at the Windsors.
Reminding people that edward quit military training 1/3 of the way through.
And William and Kate are “selective” about work.
That is really funny and incredibly shady.
Also about the Sussexes- really it does seem more and more true that their very existence outside of the royal system creates an existential crisis for the family, the institution and the press/stenographers who cover/cover for them.
Watching a 1000 dynasty implode in real time is kind of interesting.
Oh yah the line about doing less public engagements and prioritizing social media? LOL!
Awww, Prince ZOOM And the DEEP FAKE Princess. How very lovely. I am sure you will rule social media with all that duchy money to buy many loyal/royal bots.
Tina – that was it for me as well 🤣🤣 Not only is he criticizing the work from home Wailses, he also seems to be crying out for the Sussexes to hurry up and get more active on social media so the rota rats have something (finally!) to talk about. The stench of desperation is so strong with those leftover rota rats.
When Meghan’s cooking show comes out they will loose their minds!
And they can’t get social media right (e.g.,frankenphoto, Sainsbury’s anniversary video, antebellum bride birthday photo…)
Yeah he’s gotta criticize the Sussexes but maybe that’s the price for criticizing the Waleses as well. And he IS criticizing them. They’re selective about royal work, they are all about social media (and not actual work), and then this line – ” Many more charities and other organisations will have to forgo royal support unless there is someone prepared to do the heavy lifting.” is basically saying he doesn’t expect the Waleses or any of their children to ever do that heavy lifting.
Palmolive is looking for a new gig which is why he wrote this nonsense to please the royalists.
The reality is that William and Kate were lazy from day one, more than any of the other family members and now that their personal issues are bubbling close to the surface, they can barely conceal it.
The Queen managed to worked until the day before she died. She didn’t hide away for months. That’s what the people respect as duty. And even Charles has not hidden away with a cancer diagnosis.
You can’t claim stiff upper lip and doing your duty when you disappear for no reason. No amount of pretending that this is anything else will change that.
If Harry and Meghan has stuck around with their children, would Meghan and the children still be being racially abused? Would the King have got round to complaining about it.
Nothing would have changed for them. Charles was too gutless to do anything.
If H and M had stuck around, Meghan would be six feet under.
Fck the British tabs.
The gaslighting is crazy. It’s not William and Kate who were modelling a modern way of doing royal work that heavily focused on social media. That was the Sussexes and they were berated for it until they left and suddenly William was more woke than Harry and William is modern and modern is good. Selective amnesia for real.
When Anne said that the wheel didn’t need to be reinvented she was talking about William and Kate as much as Harry and Meghan. The rota chose to ignore that.
Well here’s the thing they forget. The Sussexes no longer do royal work because the leftovers were jealous of the attention that the Sussexes got so they threw fits and wanted them gone because they were so very good at royal work. The leftovers can teach nothing but lies and deceit and how to make your beloved wife disappear.
“Many more charities and other organisations will have to forgo royal support unless there is someone prepared to do the heavy lifting.”
That’s a lot of words for the zinger that the Wails are lazy and incompetent.
Just call them lightweights and get the conversation that should be happening started.
“Heavy lifting”: showing up once a year to cut a ribbon, which is often too much for W and K.
I still don’t get who Charles envisioned doing this heavy work in 20 yrs with the slimmed down monarchy. Were HM and their two kids truly going take over every single patronage save the 20 or so Wills and Kate are willing to take on??? Charles sure understood William and Kate’s laziness long ago so…what was the plan?? Did he never actually sit down and do the math?
The plan was to force the Sussex to heel. Come back with their tail between their legs, beg for scraps and pull the work sled.
Question. If Charles didn’t plan for Edward and Sophie to have roles when he became king, then how would they have supported themselves? They need money to live and provide upkeep for Bagshot. If the plan was they weren’t going to be working royals, then seriously how would they financially support themselves?
The idea of “working royals” who earn their keep was only introduced when the Sussexes left. Before that, the queen paid the bills for her extended family, and that’s what Charles planned (and does). So Ed and Sophie were always going to be funded by the monarch. They just weren’t supposed to be important enough to stand on the balcony.
In that case, they kind of lost out. They could have their livelihood paid for without even being working royals? Now they have to work for their supper. Although in their case, maybe they don’t mind the spotlight? But I’m sure they’d be happy doing less.
Lesson they’d teach H and M: Work for Willy and Kathy without credit.
Everything changes.
Watching the Royal Family implode is sad, really. Their pettiness and cruelty out there for all to see is disheartening.
The very rota they rely on to spread their stories is truly their downfall.
I still have some curiosity though. Not only are we not seeing Kate but Charlotte and Louis as well. Hm..
Implode is the right word.
And this is a transition year. It’s going to get much worse until it’s undeniable to even their biggest supporters.
@Wolfmamma, I’m having the opposite reaction. I am reveling in the royal family’s implosion and celebrating its slow demise.
It’s glorious.
Same same!!!!!
Same, Quite Contrary, same. It’s been amazing to see just how fast they are ruining themselves during this reign. It started from the way they treated the Sussexes when the queen died and was followed swiftly by Chuckles’s losing his shit at fountain pens during his very first week. It’s a hot mess and only getting worse with the disappeared wife and frankenphotos and Willy either day drinking at work or not working at all. This can’t last much longer.
@SussexWatcher Those fountain pens were really trying to warn us.
The problem they have is that H&M are not, in fact, ensconced in their mansion. They are out making a difference and being seen. Can’t say the same for the leftovers.
I love the jealousy that oozes out of every article when they reference the “mansion” in Montecito. They make it sound like the left behind royals are living in council flats or a trailer park somewhere.
Harry and Meghan were never supposed to be living in mansion that’s why the talk about it all the time.
It isn’t enough for the royals to live in mansions/castles, they have a need to see H&M to live worse than them. It boggles my mind how the younger son of the future King lived in those small spaces in UK. I always thought they are all living in those big castles, palaces. They all did, except Harry. When he married and finally got a good house, the media and royal sources talked sh*t all day everyday about the renovation cost. I am sure it makes William really angry that Harry is living in a sunny, big mansion now. It doesn’t matter he himself is living in a palace. I am sure he always planned to mistreat, financially abuse him when he finally gets the crown. He is like the evil sisters of Cinderella and day by day he gets as ugly as them too.
Yes, the fact that William and Kate started out their marriage with 12 million pounds of renovations so they could live in a 20 room 4 story apartment at Kensington Palace which was supposed to be their ‘official home’, then later add Anmer Hall after 1.5 million pounds of renovations, plus Adelaide Cottage at Windsor and their house on the Balmoral estate, plus William now owns Highgrove and Charles pays him rent (one would need a separate post about all of Charles homes) plus a few more that I suspect I’ve missed, but…but…but… that mansion in Montecito with the 11 bathrooms…..
Taxpayers fund Charles, William and all the other Royals in one form or another but they are dancing as fast as they can to keep the public from realizing this.
The Guardian’s series ‘Cost Of The Royals’ in 2023 was an excellent start but most British newspapers and reporters will not do accurate reporting on the scam that is the Royal Family.
Didn’t realise how much W&K’s renovations at Kensington Palace cost £12m obscene and they don’t use it. They should be made to pay that back, same as H&M had to for Frogmore.
So, now, there’s no senior members of the RF living in the capital: Charles’s home remains Highgrove, Parker Bowles lives elsewhere as is widely known, KM we assume with her parents, and W in Windsor Castle to be near his children.
How did all this come to pass and why did the government(s) of the day permit it?
Some media initially reported the cost at 5.5 million pounds but others mentioned the 12 million pound cost, including the Daily Mail! 🙂
Part of the cost was due to asbestos removal and rewiring, but that would have been a smaller portion. Also according to media reports, they spent 1.5 million pounds on furnishings. The rest was the actual renovations. The end result is a whopping amount of money was spent on the renovations for Kensington Palace.
After all the renovations were done, Kate later had a second private family kitchen installed at Kensington Palace. Media claimed they paid for it themselves but where does their money come from? Additionally, after a 1.5 million pound renovation for Anmer Hall before they move in, they (Kate) about six years later had the entire kitchen replaced ‘more to their taste’.
I am a design junkie (I will never have the budget for this lifestyle but it’s fun to look at pictures) so I followed what they did. 🙂
The net result is millions upon millions spent on their homes and now they supposedly live in 4 bedroom Adelaide Cottage. Sure!!!
They’ve spent an obscene amount of money making changes to sumptuous properties most people would never be lucky enough to live in.
Kind of sad they weren’t enough to bring contentment and Kate ended alone in her separation cottage.
Though I’m glad the ones who they helped drive out ended up better off living free in the sunshine.
Richard Palmer is freelance now. He’s written a piece for the Guardian/Observer and the National (a Scottish paper). Quite frankly, he could have written this piece without mentioning Harry and Meghan but the objective was to point out that Harry and Meghan could have filled the gap for the press in the absence of the other royals and they wouldn’t be stuck having to cover Sophie and Edward. But as Kaiser said, if Harry and Meghan were still around the press would be bashing them and competitive William would definitely be working more.
I’m kind of hoping that WanK decide to go on a permanent hiatus, I really want to see a rota implosion.
Yesterday the Beeb raised the delicate issue of Will still searching for life’s meaning and now we have this RR pointing out that Fk is “choosy about what he does or doesn’t do!” He has been cut a lot of slack over the decades on the understanding that when the time came , he would be ready to king. 2024 was his golden opportunity to deliver consistent, solid support when his father was prevented from carrying out public engagements. It was down to him as a mature man of 41 to show up willingly and prove that he has the ability to lead the Firm. It was HIS turn to shine simply by showing up and covering for both his dad and wife. He didn’t so if anyone needs lessons about adult responsibility and keeping calm and then carrying on in a crisis, it is Will!
I’d like to publicly recognize Richard Palmer for his best work here:
https://x.com/RoyalReporter/status/1507015519362187270
Omg, that is GLORIOUS. 😂😂😂
That is hilarious.
I will give Palmolive credit for not deleting that tweet. He knows what he said. He’s just pretending he meant something else.
As someone here said why did Kate dress up like it’s the war years 😀
I’m old enough to remember when William and Kate’s YouTube channel was going to set the world on fire and change society. How’s that coming along?
And how’s his “life’s work” to end homelessness coming along?
24 homes in Cornwall won’t cut it, what else has he done since announcing them in February?
According to Gert’s Royals, Billy Idle had 38 engagements through the end of May. I think the bm is getting more than annoyed about this. Their bread and butter are being affected. So, my question: What will they do about this?
@Saucy &Sassy well it is getting perilously close to RR calling Will for not pulling his weight when he really needs to increase his output and conduct himself with decorum. It is D Day on 6 June ; he needs to show up and conduct himself in a respectful and dignified way to honour those who died 80 years ago. RR will NOT hold back if he pulls a duvet day or embarrasses himself by being unsteady on his feet if 90 year old veterans are standing to attention paying tribute to fallen comrades.
“…he pulls a duvet day…” 😂😂😂😎
So is “ selective approach” synonymous for “barely working? Because I know for sure that this approach won’t appeal to anyone, let alone the young gen who don’t like or care for some lazy monarchs.
I read that as learning how to not do the work but, using social media, making it look like you did. Is that the lesson? Sussexes do actual work. How dare they?! Haha
“It also contrasts with the Prince and Princess of Wales, who for years have been advocating a style that involves fewer public outings but a great deal of social media exposure.“
— HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH… oh, the shade!
All the left behinds in the pictures look tired and old. Even the young ones. And I don’t mean old age wise, either. Their collective energy just feels our of touch. Till this day I am happy the Sussexes left. I joined Twitter the day they did. I feel the RR just needs to let it go. They are happy and aren’t coming back. EVER….
“….. the Prince and Princess of Wales, who for years have been advocating a style that involves fewer public outings but a great deal of social media exposure.”
Anyone else laugh out at this?
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“William and Kate’s more selective approach to royal duties and their passionate campaigning may well be something that will appeal to younger people and make the monarchy more relevant.”
I particular love “selective.” I mean, who are they kidding?
“Their appeal is becoming more selective”
like Spinal Tap
🤭🤭
Ha! W&K are certainly as delusional.
Palmer has been around the tabloid royal reporting for ages, but he has never been a great talent or very smart; more of the foolish looking one who the other RR never took too seriously – they never invite him to their little youtube/royal talkshows (he tried one of his own, stupidly talking from blurry zoom-calls, lol), because he seems to have trouble formulating his sentence. What comes out of his mouth often doesn’t make sense.
Anyhow, he got redundant by his tabloid paper a few mounts a go. He’s been struggling to find freelance gigs since. He’s been openly selling himself on Twitter. Now his freelancing strategy is as stupid as he is; the other day he wrote a piece for The Guardian, trying to be two-faced toward Harry and Meghan (of cause the main subject is about them), now this one for The Fail lying about and disparaging H&M. The two papers can’t be more far apart in regards to: audiences, backing of the monarchy and political backing.
PS: no neck Jobsons, who lost his job at The Evening Standard and The Express a few years back and is freelancing since, is following the same two-faced RReporting strategic. It looks like that’s the only way for the old gard of the rota rats to survive and make some coins.