I have always thought that being a royal reporter is one of the most boring gigs in journalism. Its practitioners would undoubtedly tell me otherwise, but it’s never seemed that conducive to digging around and getting scoops. You’re mostly being fed information from the royal household(s).
Sometimes, though, you are on the biggest story around. Today, that is certainly the case. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, was arrested this morning. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, accusations he denies.
Since then, royal reporters and commentators have been on screen constantly. (I even turned off the Winter Olympics to watch the coverage!) As the Sun’s Political Editor, Jack Elsom noted:
Lucrative day for royal commentators. [legendary former BBC royal correspondent] Jennie Bond on Sky: “I have to go now as everyone wants to talk to me.
Fair play. Got to cash in when you can!
Such figures can seem too close to the people they cover. Alastair Bruce, Sky News royal commentator, is generally fine on celebratory things like coronations and weddings. This morning, though, I found his performance deeply uncomfortable. It was almost like Bruce was sad that Andrew was facing the accusations, mentioning the late Queen and Andrew’s service in the Falklands. There was no mention of the bravery and suffering of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, which should remain central to the story. It was as if the issue was that this is difficult for the royal family.
Julie K. Brown has also been overlooked in all this. Indeed, I did not know about her work until a friend pointed it out to me earlier today. Brown’s reporting for the Miami Herald led to the arrests of both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. She tracked down over 60 women who said they were victims of the disgraced financier, who lived in West Palm Beach.Â
At all levels of this awful, dramatic story, let’s not forget the women.