The Debatable Land

Harry of the Hindu Kush

A defence* of Royalty: Prince Harry in Afghanistan. Oddly stirring stuff, actually.

Good for him and, amazingly, good for the MoD and the media for ensuring that the Prince's comrades were not endangered by his presence on the front line becoming a matter of public knowledge until now.

UPDATE: Fraser says some of the most prominent British bloggers knew of Harry's deployment and kept the news to themselves too. This ain't a new media vs old media tussle, it's common sense and, in this instance, a certain courtesy to a young soldier who wants to serve his country without imperiling his comrades. Nothing significant is gained by "breaking" an agreed embargo on this sort of thing and nothing lost by honouring it until such point as it expires or, as in this case, becomes moot.

UPDATE 2: Trusty, credible commenter Beth Noire, suggests gossip site Popbitch knew in December and scrubbed all references to Harry's service from its chatroom.

*Spelling corrected to scrub accidental Americanism. Thanks Panenka.

The Royal Reverse Ferret

Speaking of the reverse ferret, there are few things in life more entertaining than the sight of the British press scurrying off to all points of the compass. Everyone knows that someone must be heading in the right direction, but no-one can be quite sure who that someone might be.

A recent example of this splendid phenomenon was Prince William's break-up with his long-term girlfirned (and presumptive wife - hence the need for much and sudden reversing of ferrets) Kate Middleton. The New Statesman's Brian Catchcart takes up the story:

Prince Philip told William to dump Kate, according to the News of the World. No, it was Charles who gave the order, said the Sunday Telegraph. Nonsense, the Daily Mirror declared, Wills has a mind of his own. Or maybe, as the Sun had it, it was an amicable parting and he didn't dump her at all.

The crunch for the couple came "last week" (Sunday Telegraph), "last weekend" (Mail on Sunday) or "ten days ago" (News of the World). He sat her down and told her (Mail on Sunday); he ended it by phone (Daily Mirror). No one else was involved (Sunday Telegraph); the prince is "obsessed" with Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe (Mail on Sunday). As for the Queen, she had feared another Diana saga (News of the World); she loathed Kate's mother (Mail on Sunday); she was "devastated beyond words" (People).

No wonder Cachcart is moved to observe, with appropriate dryness,

It is quite a spectacle, Fleet Street's finest galloping off in all directions at once."

Kiss Me Kate No More

Busy day for journalists on Britain's Sunday newspapers: Prince William breaks-up with his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton. The newspapers will love this since a) Royal stories sell papers, b) this will be worth a week of entertaining recrimination as the press asks itself, once again, "Did we, er, do this?" as Miss Middleton, not unreasonably, seems to have tired of the constant press attention she received. Then there's c) fresh opportunities to speculate on William's love-life in the future, including, natch, perfumed features on every available and suitable young lady in London. Which means that d) the entire cycle can begin again.

Happy days then, except for the poor hacks forced to drop all plans today and churn out a 2,000 word report-cum-analysis of the life and loves of Wills. Hard to concentrate on the football and racing results, as is traditional on a Saturday afternoon, while actually, you know, writing.