A retired diplomat I know had no doubt about where the blame lay for the Queen’s Very Rude episode. ‘Sounds as though the officials let her down badly – twice – in filming private conversations and then not vetting them,’ he observed acidly.
And certainly it does seem as though the broadcasters’ cameraman at large – representing the BBC, ITV et al – may have to have his right-to-roam licence revoked for any social gathering involving HM. The reason, I’d have thought, why he was let loose at cocktail and garden parties was that the Palace thought he, or rather his bosses, could be trusted with the content. More fool them.
The notion that you’ve got an all-seeing, all-hearing camera following you around is fine if you know that someone with a bit of nous is going to be filtering the content, though it would still cramp my style.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in