Tina Brown’s interviews are kind of the worst part about The Palace Papers. In writing, Brown can parse, throw shade, play both sides and obliquely tell some harsh truths. I guess Brown feels like she needs to play to the old-school “royalists” and Cambridge fans to get them to buy her book, so that’s why her interviews are increasingly messy. Brown spoke to BBC Radio 4’s Today show about the book and she had a lot of dumb sh-t to say. Sidenote: it’s increasingly hilarious to watch Brown rip into Harry and Meghan and then one beat later, talk about how much Britain needs Harry to come back.
The current state of the Royal Family: It’s ‘rather perilous at the moment, very perilous. Largely because in times past, the various ructions that sort of shook the House of Windsor always could rely on Her Majesty The Queen to keep calm and carry on. And of course this time with the latest IED explosions that have been happening, it’s happening at a time of the Queen’s much more perilous health and a time which is really the twilight of her reign. So that adds much more of a sort of high-stakes edge to the situation at the moment.’
The Sussexit: ‘Well Harry and Meghan leaving was definitely a blow for the monarchy because they did represent a more modern – dare I use the word ‘relatable’ – modern, royal couple who could be deployed to connect more, essentially, with the younger generation. So losing them was actually quite a blow. And I think that there will be an effort to somehow reel them back in at a certain point – not for a bit, but I think my guess is that they will want to come back actually.’
But the Sussexes won’t come back at the moment: ‘Right now it’s not going to happen. And it’s not going to happen largely because Harry keeps lobbing these fresh hand grenades at the family, just when they’re beginning to think ‘well, can we re-establish some trust with the House of Sussex. There’s yet another fusillade from an American talk show and everybody in the family thinks ‘well, what was that about’? The most recent comments by Harry about, you know, he came to make sure the Queen was protected – a lot of people I think in the family thought ‘well actually she needs protecting from you, Harry’. So that isn’t helpful.
Harry will want to come back: ‘But I think when the Queen does die, I do believe there’ll be a kind of desire for Harry to serve his country. I think he’s going to want to rethink it, probably. And frankly I don’t think the entertainment efforts are going that brilliantly, you know, sitting in Montecito.’
A focus on the Cambridges: ‘It’s amazing really how important, frankly, to the future of the monarchy the Duchess of Cambridge has become. When she first married William, it was thought how can a girl from middle-class origins really become a future queen? Is she going to be able to handle everything that will be thrown at her in this very difficult and very constrained situation. But it’s incredible, now people have to ask ‘well, what on earth would happen without the Duchess of Cambridge?”
[From The Daily Mail]
I’m actually surprised by how much Brown discussed the need for the Sussexes to a British radio audience. I mean, she’s also making it sound like Harry and Meghan will flop in California and then it will be easier for the Windsors to “reel them back in.” Maybe that is what the domestic British audience wants to hear? I have no idea. What I do know is that after Prince Harry has had a taste of life outside the Firm, life on his terms, life away from his toxic family, he’s never going back there to live. He may visit, sure. He may eventually soften on some family members. But this idea that Harry is going to suddenly feel like “oh, I need to serve my father during his reign” is a pipe dream.
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