R2OK!

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

Prince Andrew on a visit to a factory in Weymouth which is building the Ranger vehicle made a comment "that the ministery of defence chiefs are failing to get off their fat backside, and not ordering any of them". On this report it says in last paragraph that the Duke of York is not allowed to express political views.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11704220

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I'm not entirely convinced that what he said transgresses the rule about such things
Members of the Royal Family have long been commenting on issues of public concern eg GM Crops but what they must not do is to get involved in party politics
I don't think the criticism in this case was about the previous Labour government or the present Coalition government but rather more about the way the Defence Ministry is run in general and if anything it was probably directed at the civil servants who were criticised in a report some months ago for wasting money and failing to procure the best deals for taxpayers
By the way I'm not a great fan of everything the Royal Family does but I think to criticise Prince Andrew in this case is a bit harsh
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ColinB · Guest

It was also a comment that was made in private. It's normal protocol that such things are not put into the public domain, so it's all a non-story really. He hasn't broken any royal protocol.