Information submitted to the Iraq Inquiry

Submission to the Iraq Inquiry, 04/01/2010: Following the allegations published yesterday (News of the World, Sunday 3rd Jan) about Prince Charles’ behind-the-scenes campaigning to try to influence ministers in the lead up to the Iraq invasion, I strongly urge the Inquiry to investigate whether or not these allegations are true and, if they are, to [...]

It’s time to curb Charles’ dangerous meddling

In an “exclusive” story yesterday the News of the World reported claims that Prince Charles had actively campaigned against Britain’s involvement in the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.  (In fact the substantive elements of the story were almost identical to another article the paper ran seven years earlier.) Prince Charles is already known to [...]

Republic Tuesday: a year of royal articles

For some extra reading over the holiday break, here’s a personal selection of articles about monarchy and the royal family from 2009: Peter Preston: “The trouble with Harry” (Guardian, 11 January 2009) The prince is in another fine mess, but his problems aren’t entirely of his own making Joan Smith: “Manufacturing the myth of monarchy” [...]

Veil of secrecy surrounding Charles’ lobbying must be lifted

In recent days the controversy over Prince Charles’ lobbying of government ministers and his private interference in the affairs of state reached a head when it was revealed that he had written directly to ministers in eight Whitehall departments over the last three years. Charles’ advisers are also said to have pressed senior cabinet ministers [...]

Disclosure of royal correspondence comes one step nearer

A landmark ruling made by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) may force the government to release over one hundred letters and memos written by ministers and members of the Royal Household during negotiations over public subsidies paid to the Queen for the upkeep of her palaces. Please disclose under the terms of the Freedom of [...]

Do you really want this man as head of state?

In all the recent fuss about Charles Windsor as the political prince or the environmentalist, there is another side to the next in line to the throne that has fallen from the public consciousness: that of a self-deluded elitist with contempt for the British people. What is wrong with people nowadays? Why do they all [...]

A follow-up letter to John Gummer: Royal FOI exemption

John Gummer is MP for Suffolk Coastal. Submitted via WriteToThem.com, 17/12/2009: Dear John Gummer, Yesterday I wrote to ask you to support the call for greater openness and accountability in relations between the monarch and government by signing Early Day Motion (EDM) 83 which calls for the Royal Family’s exemption from the Freedom of Information [...]

The Canadians can teach Britain something about Freedom of Information

Canadians woke up yesterday to discover just how much Prince Charles’ recent 11-day visit had cost them: $2.57 million (approx. £1.47 million).  Call it £100 a minute.  This astonishing figure included: cost of hotel rooms: $138,000 (£79,000); communications and media staff: $320,000 (£183,000); staff costs for the ‘royal visit team’: $630,000 (£361,000); constructing a website [...]

Treasury gaffe reveals Charles secretly lobbied for tax breaks

An astonishing blunder by The Treasury reveals that Prince Charles secretly lobbied the government for tax breaks on expenses incurred by Princes William and Harry. John Cross, who writes the blog ‘confirm or deny‘, has uncovered what hides behind redacted sections of a memorandum written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alastair Darling, and released [...]

Prince Charles: a birthday message from Suffolk Coastal Republic

Dear Charles, Happy birthday:  61 tomorrow!  A day early but we thought you’d probably want to be alone with the family on the big day, opening cards, presents, that sort of thing.  We didn’t get you anything this year (again, sorry!) but we’ve put together this message instead.  From us to you: By the time [...]