Low-quality leadership, a lack of accountability and a culture of impunity are at the root of the decay of our key institutions
Fit for a prince. “By royal appointment” has traditionally been a recommendation of provenance, quality and trustworthiness. A royal handle today serves as a warning of potential ignominy. As Oscar Wilde didn’t quite write, for one prince to be embroiled in scandal may be regarded as a misfortune, two looks like a pattern. Buckingham Palace must be fervently hoping that no one has anything on Prince Edward.
Prince Andrew is paying a large sum to a woman he claims never to have met rather than face interrogation about her accusations of sexual assault before a jury in New York. Prince Charles denies knowing anything about cash for honours, but says he will help the police with their inquiries into whether a Saudi billionaire’s payments to royal charities bought the donor a gong.
