Royal Scandals--why the press is never fair.

The headline read "Sarah Ferguson to be extradited to Turkey to face charges?"
And of course one immediately thought about drugs/money laundering. Our dear Sarah has done more than her share of foolish things during her life as a post-royal. But this time it turned out that her deeds and motives were of the best. Read on: 

By Alyssa Newcomb

Jan 15, 2012 6:40pm

Fearing Arrest, Sarah Ferguson Cancels Travel Plans

  Email 3 Smaller Font Text Larger Text | Print

If Turkish prosecutors have their way, former royal Sarah Ferguson could spend the next 22 years of her life in jail, and that has the jet setting Duchess of York reportedly putting her travel plans on hold for fear she could be extradited.
Turkish prosecutors this week announced that Ferguson, 52,  is wanted on charges she allegedly violated the privacy of orphans and illegally obtained footage when she made an undercover documentary called “Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission”  in the country in 2008. It is unclear why it has taken three years to bring charges.
Ferguson’s friend, reporter Chris Rogers, is also wanted in Turkey.
“We just really felt that the world really needed to know what was going on inside Turkish institutions, and the only way we could do that would be to trespass and secretly film,” Rogers told the BBC.
The documentary showed deplorable conditions inside of Turkey’s Saray orphanage, which houses hundreds of disabled orphans. Ferguson’s cameras  captured children dressed in rags, tied to bed posts, and living in unsanitary conditions.
The United Kingdom has declined to extradite Ferguson, however it’s possible another country could if she chooses to travel, Bruce Zagaris, an international law expert, told ABC News.
“It will be risky for her to travel outside of the UK,” Zagaris said. “Especially in those countries that have an extradition treaty, and that’s most of the world.”
A statement released by Ferguson’s spokesperson said she is fully cooperating with UK and Turkish authorities.
The duchess said she is “happy with courage to stand by the film”, the BBC reported.

This time I'm on Sarah's side. She did what any investigative reporter does and the press should applaud her. This is a great example of how the press can cause royal scandals, taint reputations unjustly and generally make life difficult for those in the public eye. I think I'll stay humble and loveable.

Will William be different?

Its royal gossip Monday and the first thing I saw on the news this morning was the engagement pictures of William and Kate Middleton. They look so happy that I'm hoping things will turn out differently for them than for Williams parents, and that William won't follow the age-old tradition of the heir to the throne keeping a mistress. Apparently that's one of the things that Charles said to Diana -- I refuse to be the first Prince of Wales, who doesn't have a mistress.  Not the sort of thing or wife wants to hear.
 Of course, in the old days, Royal marriages were business propositions, linking two nations , two economies.  Love did not come into it, although some royal couples became fond of each other.  So it was considered normal, but once the wife had done her duty and produced an heir, the husband could play elsewhere. Charles obviously followed that tradition, as did his great, great grandfather , King Edward VII and his great uncle, King Edward VIII.  Although not his great grandfather, George V, who was devoted to Queen Mary. This in a way was amazing as Mary was originally engaged to George's older brother, the Duke of Clarence, who died at the age of 28. Mary was then passed along to the next in line, who was George and they lived happily ever after.

I'm sure she was much happier married to George, who was a stable and simple chap, rather than his wicked and wayward older brother. In fact the whole country heaved a sigh of relief when he died, supposedly of influenza. Rumours flew for many years about whether he had died of natural causes or whether he had been helped to his death, leaving the way to the throne open for the more sensible George. I play with this scandal in my book  Royal Flush.

Let us hope that William and Kate can live without any scandals, although scandals do provide such good material for books, don't they?

Royal Wedding, Royal Scandals

Since I'm heavily involved with royal personages in my life--albeit not living ones--I shall be following with great interest the build up to the wedding of William and Kate (or Katherine as we are now supposed to call her).

So visit this blog every Monday for latest snippets of royal gossip, royal scandals from the past and juicy details for royal watchers.

I'm starting off with a couple of really juicy details to share: the first were the comments made this weekend by the Bishop of Willesden, in North London. (blogger note--I didn't even know they had a bishop in Willesden. he must be a very minor one!) Anyway this clueless guy posted on Facebook that he thought the upcoming royal wedding was a ridiculous waste of public money and that the couple would be divorced within seven years. He went on to compare it to the lavish celebrations for Charles and Diana, whom he refered to as Big Ears and the porcelain doll, reminding people what happened to them. He could not have been more offensive and said he'll be in France on the day, celebrating with other republicans.

Note this is a Bishop of the Church of England, the head of which is...THE QUEEN. He's attacking his employer, essentially and IMHO should be out of a cushy job, standing in an employment line. That will make him rethink his views on republicanism!
Anyway, he's apologized today, or been made to apologize. How stupid not to think that the world would pick up his Facebook comments.

There have been outcries about the cost in UK, but the complainers don't stop to think that the wedding is projected to bring in 260 million in additional tourist pounds for the event. It will make a profit, however expensive it is to the tax payer, and both the queen and Charles have already said they plan to foot a good part of the bill.

So do you think it's a waste of money?

And one other juicy tidbit for today... Kate's great grandmother worked in a jam factory. I told you it would be juicy, didn't I?