The Firm vs the Sussexes
Monarchy is part reality TV show, part constitutional check on democracy, writes Eddie Ford
Apparently, after being admitted over a week ago to the King Edward VII private hospital in central London, the 99-year-old Philip Windsor is “comfortable and responding to treatment”. This is his longest unplanned visit for a decade or more and it is reported that he will remain there several more days for “observation and rest”, as he battles an infection.
Maybe this sounds cynical, but I interpret that to mean the Duke of Edinburgh is on his last legs and does not stand much chance of making it to 100 on June 10. Without being ghoulish, it would be interesting to see how the news is handled by the monarchy (or The Firm - a term first attributed to Philip). If he were to die in the midst of a pandemic, that would obviously present a nightmare in terms of publicity and ceremony. How to strike the right tone? How to get the decorum right? How to organise t