The most part of all princes have more delight in warlike manners and feats of chivalry than in the good feats of peace. Thomas More
They spoke as though these Princes are so remote from life as we know it that the smallest sign of humanity, the mere fact even that they communicated by means of speech was worth noting and proclaiming. Nancy Mitford
Princes know themselves to be princes, and are not snobs; besides, they believe themselves to be so far above everything that is not of their blood royal that noblemen and commoners appear, in the depths beneath them, to be practically on a level. Marcel Proust, In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower
Miss Forsythe, you’ve just seen a prince walk by. A fine, troubled prince. A hardworking, unappreciated prince. A pal, you understand? A good companion. Always for his boys. Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman, Biff
Blanche: Young man! Young, young, young, young – man! Has anyone ever told you you look like a young prince out of Arabian Nights? Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire
Just over two months ago a close friend of Prince Andrew hanged himself in his cell at the Metropolitan Correction Center in New York. Jeffrey Epstein was accused of being one of the most prolific child abusers of modern times. Now Epstein’s victims are speaking out fearlessly … ‘He abused over a thousand women’ … ‘Epstein enjoyed a twelve-year friendship with Prince Andrew. The Queen’s favourite son stands accused of having sex three times with a teenage girl trafficked by Epstein, once as part of an orgy. We built up the most complete picture yet of the relationship and the Prince, forensically examining Epstein’s address book and flight log, and comparing them against Prince Andrew’s schedule. Dispatches: The Prince & the Paedophile, Channel 4 2019
Why are the British police doing nothing? ibid.
He was also known as Randy Andy. The playboy prince. He had a succession of high-profile girlfriends, and was mocked on the satirical programme Spitting Image. ibid.
Virginia Roberts claimed she had her third encounter with him [Andrew]; it allegedly occurred on the Caribbean island that Epstein had acquired in 1998 called Little St James. ibid.
Hats, holidays and the high life. Meet princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. They’re the princesses we love to mock. Their parents Fergie and Andrew have brought shame and embarrassment on their daughters. The 9th and 10th in line to the throne have been subject to ridicule in the media. They’ve been accused of extravagance and privilege. Beatrice & Eugenie: Pampered Princesses? Channel 5 2020
‘Eugenie definitely got herself a bit of a reputation as a party princess.’ ibid. Emily Andrews, royal commentator
Prince Andrew’s insistence that his daughters be treated as senior royals would lead to criticism of the princesses as they grew older. ibid.
Fergie came in for a huge amount of criticism for her lifestyle, for her fashion, and what the tabloids called her workshy attitude, nicknaming her Her Royal Idleness. ibid.
Just why are we paying Princess Eugenie’s £100,000 gap-year security bill? ibid. Daily Mail 18th April 2009
‘They were called the Frumpy Sisters. The Two Ugly Sisters. The press were very cruel.’ ibid. friend
Even as they reached adulthood, the princesses struggled to escape their parents’ shadow. ibid.
Despite their dedication, their charitable efforts are often overlooked. ibid.
Lady Diana Spencer was just 19 when she became engaged to the 32-year-old Prince of Wales. It was her first serious relationship. After more than a decade in a suffocating marriage the Princess was desperate to speak out. And in 1995 the Princess began a serious of clandestine meetings with BBC journalist Martin Bashir. His attempts to secure an interview with Diana are now the subject of fresh allegations by her brother Earl Spencer. Here, the man accused of helping Bashir speaks on camera. The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess s1e1, ITV 2020
Charles had been in a relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles for several years. But she had had a series of boyfriends and was deemed an unsuitable match for the heir of the throne. ibid.
Prince Charles was simply unable to give Diana the emotional security she so badly desired. ibid.
Back then, Diana probably believed she could win Charles’ love and make him forget Camilla. Charles himself was also trapped by circumstance. ibid.
‘I couldn’t believe that a man with a newborn baby was gonna leg it and play some daft game of Polo. Doing something like that to a wife with a newborn baby [Harry] was atrocious. If he thought he could treat his wife like that, he was in deep trouble.’ ibid. Ken Lennox, press photographer
On 20th June 1994 Charles attempted to hit back at Diana’s growing popularity. As well as rehabilitating his reputation – there was Camillagate – by giving an exclusive interview for Jonathan Dimbleby on ITV. ibid.
Diana’s BBC Man and Fake Bank Statements: Documents were falsified before Royal Interview. ibid. Daily Mail headline
‘This was an interview that went to the absolute dark heart of English establishment and the monarchy.’ The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess s1e2, Andrew Morton
‘She [Camilla] won’t go quietly. That’s the problem. I’ll fight till the end. Because I believe I have a role to fulfil.’ ibid.
The interview had been done without the knowledge of [Marmaduke] Hussey or the Board of Governors. ibid.
Eventually, Diana received £17 million but lost her HRH title as part of the settlement. ibid.
In the weeks before he secured his global scoop with Princess Diana, Martin Bashir asked his friend and colleague at Panorama, a BBC graphic designer, to do a job for him late one evening … ‘I am this guy that’s remembered for forging the document. And I want to clear my name … Martin asked me to make up a couple of bank statements about people being paid to do surveillance that he needed the following day. And he did say that they were just going to be used as copies.’ ibid. Matthias Wiessler, BBC graphic designer 1986-1995
Dubai: one of the world’s most glittering cities. Its ruler Sheikh Mohammed [al Maktoum] is one of the richest heads of state in the world. Three years ago the Sheikh’s 32-year-old daughter, Latifa, tried to escape. But she was captured. Now, Panorama can reveal that a year after she disappeared Latifa began recording video messages. This is the story of what happened to Latifa and the lies told to the world. Panorama: The Missing Princess, BBC 2021
‘Behind that modern facade there is no tolerance of dissent.’ ibid. Ken Roth, executive director Human Rights Watch
Latifa and Tiina [Jauhiainen] managed to get out of Dubai and board a yacht. The plan was to cross the Indian Ocean then fly to the United States where she would try to claim political asylum. ibid.
At around midnight on 4 March 2018 Latifa was taken off the boat. Tiina and the crew were held in a UAE high security jail for two weeks. ibid.