The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor - the Truth and the Turmoil

The book is not the scandalous tittle tattling one might have been led to think but a fairly objective explanation of events with especially pertinent background information. Brown is particularly good at describing the social milieu in which the characters find themselves, or seek to find themselves. Despite the complaints from the Meghan fans about the unfairness of her treatment of Meghan, the only member of the royal family who gets torn to shreds is Andrew, but he deserves it for his sleaziness, arrogance and stupidity. The media, especially the tabloids and papparazzi also get hammered as Brown describes the truly awfulness of the hacking campaign carried out by the Murdoch crew. It was unbelievably horrible. Brown does devote considerable space to Harry and Meghan in trying to explain why they act as they do. Harry has been an angry, tormented soul since childhood, only finding some measure of purpose and contentment in the army. Unfortunately, he could not remain Lt. Wales as a. career. Meghan has been an ambitious, driven individual since childhood, torn by her desire to be somebody as well as to be an agent for good. It is evident that Harry wanted out of Royal life and Meghan was the catalyst that made it happen. In Brown’s opinion (and many others) the two thrive on drama and upheaval. The pre-wedding turmoil began because Meghan could not or would not understand how the Palace worked (thinking that Royal courtiers and staff were the same as contract employees at NBC studios, as in the Queen’s intimate Angela Kelley being just a costume aide) and the Palace could not understand Meghan’s California directness and let’s get things done attitude. Cultural conflict at its worst. Rather than trying to be a conciliator, Harry only fed the flames. It was a sad outcome because the Queen, Philip, Charles and the top level courtiers welcomed Meghan and were pleased at how much she could add to the royal mystique. The only entities who caused trouble from the beginning were the British media, especially the tabloids, who were their usual nasty selves. Brown comments that Meghan might have saved herself a bit of woe if Piers Morgan had been invited to the wedding rather than the George Clooneys. Only time will tell whether or not the Sussex attempts at media empire building will be successful. Brown seems to think that they have not yet accomplished much and that Diana’s media before her death were much better organized. The surprise for me was Brown’s treatment of Camilla and Catherine, as well as Carole Middleton. Her description of Camilla’s upbringing as part of the English county set was interesting and did much to explain Camilla’s behavior. Brown does not condone the affair or how it was carried out, but as a person Camilla comes across as a level headed, charming and attractive person with none of the emotional baggage that plagues everyone else, except Kate. For Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, there are nothing but bouquets. The girl who was seen as a rather innocuous, uninteresting, unambitious social climber has emerged as a compassionate, caring steel-spined rock for William and ultimately the Crown. She is certainly not a nobody but a thoroughly grounded, emotionally stable and intelligent player in the family drama. Brown is also complimentary to her parents, especially Carole, for their stability, their success as parents and as entrepreneurs. No typical English snobbery present in Brown’s treatment. She admires their middle class values. All in all, this is a readable and credible attempt to explain the current state of the Palace and the monarchy. The Queen, Prince Philip, Camilla and Catherine are lauded. Charles is given both warts and his halo. William is commended for surviving the trauma of his childhood and early youth ( he knew all too well what was going on in his parents’ marriage) and turning out to be a compassionate and thoughtful future king. Harry and Meghan are explained through the lens of their own childhood traumas (Meghan’s was probably far more difficult and fractured than she has admitted). Andrew and the tabloids get their just desserts. The thread running through this is family and what they do to us (PhilipLarkin’s famous one line comes to mind). The only individuals in the royal family who had a stable, normal childhood are Camilla and Catherine. Brown comments that one strength of the monarchy since George V has been marital support. George VI became an admirable king because of the unfailing encouragement and care of his wife. Philip truly was the strength and support of Elizabeth II. Charles and William may also be successful monarchs because of the women they married.

This is a well written book with lots of the inside information we would never know without it. The women are especially interesting. I highly recommend.

Hard to put down book; you could just read this one night & day! Terrific story-telling book. I enjoyed it immensely!

interesting information on all the characters

I would have given the book five stars for the entertainment value alone. However, in good conscience it is not fair to give such a gossipy, opinionated and not always properly sourced volume that much credit. Nonetheless, it was wonderful reading this long and full of juicy bits tome about the key players, events and cultural milieu around the British royal family. Picking up, no doubt, from where her previous book, the Diana Chronicles ( which I have not yet read) left off, It focuses on Queen Elizabeth II and her children, Harry, William and their wives. And what a rollicking tale!!! The author pretty much eviscerates Prince Andrew and at times Prince Charles, for whom she later seems to come to a grudging respect. A wonderful overview of the recent decades of smarm at the top.

I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Brown did a thorough job of describing different family members and the situations that each had gone through. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys royalty.

After reading “The Spare” I was curious about the history of the entire family. This book is full of details that help explain the environment members of the Royal Family have been born into and forced to deal with. Lots of details about the press and their underhanded ways of getting their stories. Lots of details about family members quirks and emotional issues. The paperback version includes a section added after the Queen’s passing that the hardback version does not include. The print size in the paperback is smaller than I expected. So many details in this 500 page book. Helped me understand why Harry felt he had to leave the UK.

The Palace Papers is Tina Brown's follow up to her Diana Chronicles from several years ago. This current work covers the last twenty five years or so of the House of Windsor, from the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 through the death of Prince Philip in 2021 and the fallouts from the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to withdraw from royal duties and the almost simultaneous scandals that derailed the Duke of York's career as a senior royal.I enjoyed this book a great deal, having had a deep interest in the Royal Family for many years. Tina Brown's dishy gossipy style makes for an almost irresistible read, but her research is deep and meticulous, as evidenced by the many pages of Notes and References at the end. Understandably, many of her interviewees and other contacts for this book preferred to remain anonymous, but that doesn't detract from the content.I learned a lot from The Palace Papers, whether it was about Prince Andrew's horrendously poor judgement in associating with Jeffrey Epstein, Megan Markle's TV career and early life, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's dedication to each other and to the monarchy, or the continuing influence of the late Princess of Wales. As a result of reading this book I gained new respect for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall as well as the Cambridges, and my respect and admiration for Her Majesty The Queen herself deepened even further.One thing that surprised me about The Palace Papers is that Tina Brown made a number of mistakes in referring to titled peoples, like "Countess Patricia Mountbatten" or "Lady Rose Cholmondeley." Anyone who has associated with royalty and nobility as much as Brown has ought to be able to use titles accurately. But the book remains a good and informative read nevertheless.

Someone has to make a book just like this, out of the vestimenta of the royals but the closer people surrounding them as well the unknown details that cast their lives and gossips which eventually yields the greatest of all monarchy’s , no winners no losers but one Queen always de Great, Elizabeth II.Well done Tina and ready for the next “London bridge is down , long live the king”

The chapter on Jeffrey Epstein is important. This shows there was another world of other connections associated with the Royal family members.

Her observations about Camilla was fascinating. Camilla likes bling! And how British tabloids work. The Queen’s visit to Ireland. All very interesting.

Fast delivery and a book worth reading.

I found this an absorbing and enlightening book. For many of us, the different characters in the royal family over the past several decades are endlessly fascinating. Although I do feel sympathy towards them for the relentless way in which they are scrutinised by the media, I cannot but acknowledge that fascination, and I feel they are all much more interesting than so-called ‘celebrities’. None of us who follow them can avoid having our shifting personal opinions about them, much as we might about fictional characters: but they themselves are real, living, unique individuals who can never be defined by our superficial opinions.For the British Royals, their characters are bound up so deeply in British culture and history, that the impression they convey to the public cannot ever be separated from it. My comments here fully acknowledge these as living people with their own integrity, and the impression we receive of them, even from a book as (apparently) well-researched and painstakingly and beautifully written as this one is, can only be partial, and we would be betraying our own humanity if we did not acknowledge that every one of us is odd and flawed and our lives are full of character weaknesses, mistakes and wrong turnings. None of us can ever stand in judgement over each other.My observations of the book must be seen in light of the above, and simply represent the feelings and impression I receive of the individuals portrayed in Tina Brown’s account.Although the author focuses on many crises and events which have already received wide and varied publicity, she offers extra value to the reader by giving details and insights which are lacking on the main media channels. I found myself changing my previous feelings about certain royals, both in a positive and a negative light. I must confess that several of Tina Brown’s observations on the Queen Mother and upon the Queen herself made them sound like nasty pieces of works, appearing callous and cruel. The author also often represents Charles as weak, self-indulgent and spoilt with no self-control. Harry in this account comes over as someone of whom his family could always have predicted a future as a rebel and troublemaker.I like Camilla – in Tina Brown’s portrayal – but cannot understand why the lady portrayed here would have agreed in the end to marry Charles, or enter into the gilded cage of the royal life, when clearly, she is so much more at home as a relaxed carefree person. Camilla has my admiration for the way she responded during the period when she was publicly vilified: I loved the author’s observation that Camilla retreated to her home and spent a lot of time reading books – which of course provided a perfect preparation for her later role as the convenor of the Royal Reading Room!The way this author writes about Diana makes me feel so sorry for Harry and puts me much more in sympathy with him. I found myself thinking, ‘no wonder he wants to write his book’ and also feeling he has every right to publish it.With Tina’s portrayal of Catherine, I found myself also feeling sorry for her, having to wait for so long for William to reach a decision: and amazed it didn’t end up as a repeat of the Camilla and Charles situation.Tina covers the Paul Burrell story, and makes it clear she sees him as a betrayer – however, I don’t agree with her here. Again, this is based only on a partial understanding of the truth.In regard to Tina’s portrayal of Harry, I do wonder now whether he will get all the sympathy back again with his book. No wonder he snapped Meghan up so quickly before the media really got wind of it, and without even preparing her for the royal life – for fear she would be scared off just as Cressida and Chelsy were. I now – on the basis of Tina Brown’s account – even feel William should have been more sensitive and understanding to Harry about Meghan and should have respected both his choice and the speed at which he made it.Some of this book is superbly written, especially the Andrew and the ‘Megxit’ bits. At the end, I’m in awe of the firebrand writing with perfect pace, frequent wit and not a word out of place. Perhaps that owes something to exceptional editing! Some of it is brilliantly, bitingly funny. Tina Brown’s account of Elizabeth II’s death and our response to it is beautifully done – expressed perfectly and accurately and very moving.So overall, with the caveats I mention in the early paragraphs of my review, I’ll say this is a compulsive read, full of flare and, hopefully – as it may turn out in the future – at least some substance.