A royal pain for the House of Windsor

From Fergie’s letter to Epstein to Prince Harry’s ongoing conflict with his family, the House of Windsor has had a tough run.

The House of Windsor is once again swirling at the centre of a well-publicised storm.

This time, it’s not just one scandal or headline – it’s a rolling series of crises: Sarah Ferguson being stripped of charity titles after her exposed email to now-deceased convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein; a flurry of leaks and accusations following Prince Harry’s meeting with King Charles; and protests and outcry after President Donald Trump’s glittering state dinner at Buckingham Palace.

The drama has prompted a rare statement from the palace, and some royal members have been told to “disappear”.

And it all adds up to one very uncomfortable question: how much longer can the royals stay relevant, keep calm, and carry on?

Royal correspondent and former Buckingham Palace spokesman Dickie Arbiter tells The Detail that when it comes to the ‘working royals’, they have this under control and are still “very relevant”.

“They are riding the popularity poll pretty well; there are dramas, but it doesn’t seem to affect the popularity of the working royals,” he says.

“The monarchy is still very strong … it’s all working very well, and I see it working very well into the 22nd century.”

It’s the non-working royals who are proving most problematic and courting the most drama, he says.

Sarah, Duchess of York, has always been a lightning rod for controversy, and the latest revelations that she sent Epstein a grovelling email after his jail release over child sex offences, calling him her “supreme friend”, have only cemented that reputation. At least seven charities have severed ties with her.

The revelation came just days after her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, drew ire at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent, where he was seen laughing and smiling as he attempted to make conversation with his unimpressed nephew, Prince William.

“Those optics were bad,” says Arbiter.

“It beggars belief. You can’t believe somebody with a smattering of intelligence would behave like that, but following that, the King has basically let them know they should disappear.”

As for Prince Harry, Arbiter says “it is drama non-stop – Harry has a wonderful knack of highjacking events.”

His split from royal life, with Meghan, remains one of the most bruising chapters in the family’s recent history.

And yet, whispers persist about a possible return, and last month he had a short meeting with King Charles in London. But leaks soon followed, with one report claiming Prince Harry couldn’t believe how formal the meeting was.

“He can’t be trusted. He can’t be trusted not to run to the media and tell them all what’s taken place,” Arbiter says.

“Unless he can apologise and mean it, there is not going to be a chink in the armour when it comes to the working royals.”

The leaks prompted the Palace to issue a rare statement, saying Prince Harry will not be a “half in, half out” working royal.

Arbiter says a full reconciliation of father and youngest son won’t be easy.

“The King is a father, and he loves his son; he’s been very hurt by his son, and he would like rapprochement. But there are too many obstacles in the way, there’s too much bad blood gone down the river, and you can’t just turn the other cheek because [what] if you turn the other cheek, and the other cheek gets slapped.”

Earlier this year, Prince Harry told a UK journalist, “I don’t know how much longer my father has, he won’t speak to me”, following the news that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.

Arbiter says the comments were in “completely bad taste – you might think that, but you don’t say that publicly” and he says the King is doing “incredibly well”.

And there are no plans for him to stand aside or abdicate.

“No. Abdication is a dirty word; it doesn’t happen in the Windsor 1759421517 … abdication is not a word that is in the vocabulary of the current Windsors.

“Hopefully, we will see the King for a good couple of decades.”

He says the King has a close relationship with his eldest son, Prince William, despite recent media reports claiming growing tensions.

“Absolutely false, newspapers look for a story, and when there isn’t one, they look in the sky, and they pluck something from the sky and run with it.

“There isn’t bad blood between the two of them. William has just been up there, this weekend, up to Balmoral. He and his father are often together, privately, talking … they have a very good relationship.”

Prince William and his wife, Princess Catherine, took centre stage during the recent state visit by President Donald Trump.

The glittering dinner at Buckingham Palace was hailed in some quarters as a diplomatic coup. But for others, it was a risky gamble, aligning the royals with a divisive figure at a time when they can ill afford more controversy.

But Arbiter describes the state visit as “extremely successful”, adding that “people in the UK are very sensible, while the royals are playing host to the state visitor … they know full well that the invitation comes from the government”.

So, while it has been a tough few weeks – with Sarah Ferguson’s antics, Andrew’s shadow, Charles’ health, Catherine’s recovery, William’s looming destiny, Harry’s leaks, and Trump’s divisive dinner – Arbiter says the institution has weathered centuries of scandal and speculation and will soldier on through this latest storm with tradition and resilience.

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