The Royals

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton is a former SAS soldier who became one of the royal family’s most trusted insiders – serving the Queen Mother, guiding Princes William and Harry through their early public lives, playing a key role in Prince William and Kate’s 2011 royal wedding, and later becoming godfather to Prince George.

This week on The Royals, Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah speak to Jamie about what it takes to prepare young royals for public duty, and what he learnt about William’s future as king, Harry’s bond with the military and Kate's quiet confidence. And as the royal family becomes increasingly slimmed-down, what can his experience tell us about the challenges facing the next generation?

Jamie's novel, Beyond the Edge of Light, is available from 9th July. You can buy a copy from The Times Bookshop, with a special discount for Times+ members.

Got a question? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk

Image: Getty

Producer: Robert Wallace, Harry Bligh

Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

Read more: Kate, Wills and Harry's confidant: the man who kept their secrets
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King Charles and Prince William have revealed their personal tax bills for the first time, in a historic moment for royal financial transparency. But the disclosures come as the Sovereign Grant rises to £132.1 million, with core royal household funding set to double in the next three years.

This week on The Royals, Kate Mansey is joined by Katie Tarrant, Whitehall correspondent for The Sunday Times, to unpack the Sovereign Grant report. They discuss why the King and Queen will not move back into Buckingham Palace after its £369 million reservicing programme, how William is responding to scrutiny over Dartmoor Prison rental income, and what the accounts reveal about Duchy wealth, public funding and value for money. Is the Palace’s new transparency push enough to answer critics – or does it simply open the door to more questions about royal money?

Is this a new era of royal transparency? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk

Image: Getty

Producer: Robert Wallace

Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

Read more: King Charles and Prince William pay more than £50m in tax
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From Trooping the Colour to Garter Day and Royal Ascot, this was the week the royal family put on their grandest annual display of glamour and spectacle. This week on The Royals, Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by the historian and author A.N. Wilson to ask whether these massive public events still have a place in modern Britain.

They look beyond the carriages, uniforms and hats to discuss what these public ceremonies are designed to achieve for the monarchy and the country. At a time of protests, scandal, a smaller working royal family and growing scrutiny over royal wealth, is pageantry still the monarchy’s best way of proving its value, or does the institution now have to work harder to justify the show?

Do the royals justify the pageantry? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk

Roya won! But you can still donate to Roya’s racing challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support through JustGiving.

Image: Getty

Producer: Robert Wallace, Shabnam Grewal

Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

Read more: To shake off Andrew, royals must pay their way
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From palace homes for non-working royals to "peppercorn" rents and subletting arrangements, the fallout from a major royal property investigation continues. This week on The Royals, Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah are joined by The Times investigations reporter George Greenwood to examine why the National Audit Office report has struck such a chord. They discuss reports that the King is reviewing Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s rent arrangements, and Prince William’s hints at reform when he becomes king. So, what could this mean ahead of the renewal of the Sovereign Grant and a parliamentary inquiry into royal finances? And how much of this stems from the public outcry over Andrew’s Royal Lodge lease?

Have a question about royal finances? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk.

You can donate to Roya’s racing challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support through JustGiving.

Image: Getty

Producer: Robert Wallace

Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

Read more: Cosy property deals hurt the monarchy - here's how to fix them
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As police widen their inquiry into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a major National Audit Office report has disclosed new details about his dealings on Royal Lodge, including that he sublet three cottages on the estate for 20 years. On The Royals this week, Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey analyse what the report reveals about royal property arrangements – from grace-and-favour homes to rents paid by members of the Royal Family.

They are joined by The Times chief reporter Fiona Hamilton to look at the latest developments around Andrew, including reports that Buckingham Palace was handed an archive of emails in 2020 relating to Andrew’s time as trade envoy. Andrew denies wrongdoing and has not been charged with any offence.

Will this trigger a turning point for royal transparency?

Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk

Image: Getty

Producer: Robert Wallace

Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

Read more: I fear the royal family will never let Andrew end up in court
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.