Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor

⚡️ 10 Quotes from the book

“It is a precarious existence, the life of a courtier. It always has been, and always will be.”

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“Whenever there is a monarch, there is a court; and whenever there is a court, there are courtiers. They look after the money, they provide advice, and they organise all those entertainments that are the essence of palace life. And, of course, they plot and scheme and attempt to curry favour with their principal.”

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“Receiving a thousand secrets, he must discriminate between what may emerge and what shall remain obscure … The royal secretary walks on a tight-rope below which he is never unaware that an abyss is yawning.”

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“‘The principle of being a courtier,’ said one former private secretary, ‘is to know everything, but not necessarily tell your principal everything.’”

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“These days, an equerry is someone from one of the armed services, either serving or retired, who acts as an aide-de-camp, planning visits, working out timetables, sorting logistics and being a general dogsbody.”

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“Manning liked William and Kate, and admired them for their commitment, their unpretentiousness and their common sense. ‘Their idea of service seems to echo that of the Queen,’ he said. ‘The nation and monarchy is very fortunate.’”

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“That presented Buckingham Palace with a problem. If the Commonwealth did not want Charles as its next head, it would be extremely embarrassing for the royal family.”

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“And, there, in a nutshell, is Prince Andrew: rude, gauche, insensitive, and wholly unaware of other people.”

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“As Meghan says in almost her next breath, it is very important to compartmentalise the family and the institution, because the Queen ‘has always been wonderful to me … I really loved being in her company’. But the institution? Not so much.”

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“There is, however, reason to remain hopeful. Within the monarchy, the greatest innovators are not necessarily the professional advisers upon whose wisdom the royal family is supposed to rely, but the royals themselves. As one courtier said: ‘The principals are, generally speaking, the most innovative of everyone. You look at how the Queen has changed over her reign. It’s incredible.’”

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