"Charles needs to be the fall guy" | The New Statesman

追加: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]What would be sensible for the monarchy to do now? Well, I think they are at a crossroads and I think unless they do address the some of the concerns because and if they dealt with this much earlier, we wouldn't have these wider questions being asked about royal accountability and privilege.

[00:00:13]>> Mhm. I think they need to come clean about the relationship that what they knew. I mean, what people are actually heckling about, what did you know when?

[00:00:22]They need to answer that question.

[00:00:24]>> So that and I think in some ways Charles needs to be the fall guy for this, you know, in some ways clean the stables and William can come with a clean slate.

[00:00:32]He's not associated with the cover-up.

[00:00:35]But in terms of of reform, I think parliamentary accountability is key.

[00:00:39]You've got to be able to ask questions.

[00:00:41]I know of three different members of the House of Lords who I've briefed with questions that they haven't been that they haven't been answered. Quite simple questions which are um to do with Andrew's role as the trade envoy when he was meant to be an effective civil servant. You know, I think we need to review the sovereign grant to make the moment a percentage of their earnings from the Duchies.

[00:01:00]Huge sums of money have been spent and I think just a grant with a simple grant would be which is what happened before.

[00:01:07]I think they need to be more transparent about their finances. You know, at least Charles declared how much tax he paid.

[00:01:13]William refuses to do that.

[00:01:15]>> Mhm. Um I think that actually the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster really are public property and should come back within, you know, should come back within the the the the state. Royal wills used to be open. I think we should go back to that position. I think where they were meant to not be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act apart from the normal exemptions. We need to actually go back to that position.

[00:01:38]>> Yeah. Uh there was an argument for a royal register debated 20 years ago in Parliament which was kind of kicked into touch. Uh that would cover for example the activities of people like Beatrice and Eugenie and what they're up to in the Middle East.

[00:01:50]>> Mhm.

[00:01:51]Um Prince Michael, you know, with Putin.

[00:01:54]We need to be able they need to be accountable to someone and I think Parliament is the obvious one. But, I think possibly a parliamentary commission could be look could be set up. But, certainly a parliamentary investigation into his time as a trade envoy. I mean, all these ambassadors and and people who wouldn't talk to me, who know a lot, former foreign secretaries >> talking under oath. They should be talking exactly.

[00:02:13]>> I I think I feel the same way about the the close protection officers as well.

[00:02:16]Yep. I think there is a real case here.