"On Duty With The Queen" by Dickie Arbiter (2014)

Pranter · #1 08-05-2014, 09:58 PM

Prince Charles 'furious' over memoir by former Buckingham Palace press secretary that will spill royal family's gossip: report - NY Daily News

Reportedly the PoW is not happy at all about the book....has anyone else heard anything about the book?

LaRae

GracieGiraffe · #2 08-05-2014, 10:34 PM

I've heard about it, but I did not know it would talk about anyone other than Charles and Diana.

HRHHermione · #3 08-05-2014, 11:24 PM

The royal family is never happy when former staff decide to talk. There's a long history of them feeling betrayed by this, even when the book is flattering. (Marion Crawford)

Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community mobile app

MichelleQ2 · #4 08-05-2014, 11:28 PM

Dickie Arbiter has always been incredibly loyal to HM as is his daughter Victoria. This could be a case of the DM making a story where there isn't one. I prefer to wait and see what is covered in the book.

Marty91charmed · #5 08-06-2014, 08:08 AM

Victoria Arbiter has tweeted that we should wait and read the book before forming an opinion or judge... and that what the media says it'n only rubbish...

Iluvbertie · #6 08-06-2014, 08:25 AM

I don't read books by people who betray the trust of those who employ them. I simply regard that person as beneath contempt and have very little regard for anyone who supports such a person so Victoria Arbiter can take a running jump as she is as bad as Dick in my opinion - disgusting betrayer of a trust.

Marty91charmed · #7 08-06-2014, 08:29 AM

I just reported what she tweeted! Because according to her in the book there is nothing about Diana's humilation etc like the media is blabbering....

Dman · #8 08-06-2014, 09:22 AM

Dickie Arbiter has said that his book isn't betraying the royal family and isn't juicy as the media has tried to make it. I know Dickie wouldn't do anything that would make the royals and palace officials frown.

Iluvbertie · #9 08-06-2014, 09:44 AM

The only way he isn't betraying the royal family is if he doesn't mention them at all - any mention is a betrayal and as the name makes a reference to The Queen he is betraying their trust.

He will get away with it because people like to read the 'inside story' regardless of how that 'inside story' was gained.

Elenath · #10 08-06-2014, 09:58 AM

I don't think it's that black and white. After all... if he mentioned in his book what wonderful people they are I don't believe that's "betraying their trust". Let's just wait and see.

maryr0249 · #11 08-06-2014, 05:40 PM

News! Publisher promotes book!

Iluvbertie · #12 08-06-2014, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elenath

I don't think it's that black and white. After all... if he mentioned in his book what wonderful people they are I don't believe that's "betraying their trust". Let's just wait and see.

To me that is still betraying them as he is revealing stuff about them - whether good or bad it is still a betrayal.

Crawfie, for instance, said only nice things but they and many others still see that as a betrayal of their trust.

He was in a position of trust and has decided, for money and money alone, to sell what he knows about their lives - that is totally wrong.

tommy100 · #13 08-06-2014, 08:21 PM

I use to agree about people writing books about the Queen and her family as betraying their trust and 'selling out' but then, for example,the Queen's cousin Margaret Rhodes,wrote an autobiography which she talked about the Queen and Queen Mother in. She is still very much part of the family so I guess even the Queen has perhaps accepted that there is a difference between selling out with gossipy rubbish vs just writing about what happened in a factually type way.
Let's wait and see what the book is really like, I have to say based on how Dickie has been in past I'd find it rather out of character to go about writing a gossipy, tell all book. Bear in mind he comments alot about the RF on TV and in the media so being kept 'in the fold' as such is important to him (and his daughter) career wise.

nascarlucy · #14 08-06-2014, 08:29 PM

It would really depend on what was said. Supposedly Prince Charles isn't thrilled about the book coming out (this is what news accounts that I've read about the story say, well they actually say that he was furious over it).

Iluvbertie · #15 08-06-2014, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommy100

I use to agree about people writing books about the Queen and her family as betraying their trust and 'selling out' but then, for example,the Queen's cousin Margaret Rhodes,wrote an autobiography which she talked about the Queen and Queen Mother in. She is still very much part of the family so I guess even the Queen has perhaps accepted that there is a difference between selling out with gossipy rubbish vs just writing about what happened in a factually type way.
Let's wait and see what the book is really like, I have to say based on how Dickie has been in past I'd find it rather out of character to go about writing a gossipy, tell all book. Bear in mind he comments alot about the RF on TV and in the media so being kept 'in the fold' as such is important to him (and his daughter) career wise.

Margaret Rhodes' book was approved and so she didn't sell out anyone as she had The Queen's permission to write what she wrote.

That is a different scenario to an unapproved work which is a sell out for money.

COUNTESS · #16 08-06-2014, 09:47 PM

Or, perhaps, freedom of speech. If you are a public figure and take public money what makes you think you are above someone writing a book about you. If there is slander sue. If you don't like the revelations, tough. This mystique about nobodies writes about them, is gone, I believe, in the 21st Century. They are just people. And, probably the book is less revealing than the Publisher would like, so ballyhoo.

VictoriaB · #17 08-06-2014, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nascarlucy

It would really depend on what was said. Supposedly Prince Charles isn't thrilled about the book coming out (this is what news accounts that I've read about the story say, well they actually say that he was furious over it).

The tabloids have an uncanny knowledge of what Prince Charles thinks. He is frequently 'incandescent with rage" no matter what the occurrence. He is so frequently incandescent with rage it's a wonder he hasn't had a stroke from high blood pressure.

GracieGiraffe · #18 08-06-2014, 11:03 PM

I'm not sure what else there is about the marriage of Charles and Diana that we don't know. I believe I've even read about their underwear in a book or too.

MARG · #19 08-07-2014, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VictoriaB

The tabloids have an uncanny knowledge of what Prince Charles thinks. He is frequently 'incandescent with rage" no matter what the occurrence. He is so frequently incandescent with rage it's a wonder he hasn't had a stroke from high blood pressure.

Well if he did he would probably be reported as incandescent with rage with his doctor or the hospital or . . .

But seriously, how else are they going to get "publicity" for the lastest tome from Fantasy Land. Of course . . . Charles is incandescent with rage about it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GracieGiraffe

I'm not sure what else there is about the marriage of Charles and Diana that we don't know. I believe I've even read about their underwear in a book or too.

That's probably what Charles is really thinking about!

Tarlita · #20 08-07-2014, 07:11 AM

The impression I get of Buckingham palace is that it is run a bit like a high class Hotel with offices running their business. Instead of conference rooms they have the White Drawing room for audiences etc. With many staff living under the same roof as members of the royal family. This royal household is very close to the family and trust is paramount between the two. So if we put ourselves in the RF's shoes it would be very upsetting when a trusted employee tells tales about you.