Prince Charles's Diaries and the Court Case: 2006-2007

[HRH Kerry]

Is there a media frenzy going on in Great Britain concerning Prince Charles and the published pages of his diary? Good Morning America raised the question, "Should the prince or the royal family have any privacy?" How ridiculous! A former butler made copies of Prince Charles' personal diary and sold them to a newspaper. The thoughts were personal and no crime was committed by the prince. There is no difference if you and I kept a journal but we aren't famous nor heir to the British throne either. Has anyone heard about this?

 

[Australian]

Yes I have heard it on the news here in Australia for a couple of weeks now I think. Its a shame when you can't trust your own staff, and the person who did it was meant to be his frined apparently.

 

[Saragli]

Yea I heard he felt really betrayed because he trusted that person.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Bolland is basically extremely bitter because he got the chop. Surely he signed a confidentiality agreement - can't they act on that?

 

[susan alicia]

The whole case is about confidentiality and it is pretty naive to trust employees completely.

Am not surprised or shocked by his relevation, sounds pretty much like the truth, most jobs are not for life anymore so I do not think he is too bitter

Bolland is basically extremely bitter because he got the chop. Surely he signed a confidentiality agreement - can't they act on that?

 

[BeatrixFan]

I think that because he worked so hard to raise Camilla's profile, he feels as if he's been shipped out just when he'd succeded in doing what was thought to be impossible. But his confidentiality agreement should state that he musn't reveal anything that he saw or heard in the course of his work.

 

[HRH Kerry]

Thanks guys for the info. The nerve of some people!

 

[Skydragon]

We have two that should be in the Tower.

Sara Goodall, secretary to Mark Bolland who SOLD the diaries to The Mail and who has collaborated on a book based on the diaries.
She was sacked but, Prince Charles has been kind enough not to damage her employment prospects still further, by releasing the real reasons for her dismissal. She of course blames Camilla.

Mark Bolland, who in my opinion misread everything Prince Charles wanted to do and say and has chosen this dispicable route to 'get even'. He jumped before he was finally pushed. Goodall was one of his secretaries, mmmm, makes you wonder.

 

[ysbel]

I think the Royal Family needs to look more carefully in who they hire. Between Paul Burrell and a couple of Charles' former employees, the word 'sleazy' seems somehow inadequate to describe them.

 

[Skydragon]

I think the Royal Family needs to look more carefully in who they hire. Between Paul Burrell and a couple of Charles' former employees, the word 'sleazy' seems somehow inadequate to describe them.

It's very difficult nowadays to demote or even fire someone, you have to have good, provable reasons, we are not getting on or I think she is stealing from me are not good enough.
When you are hiring, a lot of the hopefuls will say anything to get the job. It is almost impossible to give a bad reference. The best bet is just to say you would rather not give one.

 

[Skydragon]

Charles' diary lays thoughts bare


The diary which sparked Prince Charles' court fight with the Mail on Sunday has been released by his lawyers amid claims it was not a "private" journal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4740684.stm

 

[HRH Kerry]

Okay, I'm lost and I would apprieciate if you guys could help me out. Weren't the journals or diaries (copies) taken without the consent of the prince? Isn't that stealing? This newspaper came by these articles via dishonest means and they shouldn't be liable? These papers weren't found on the street but taken from a residence. People should be arrested for this!

 

[BeatrixFan]

Charles sent a few copies to close friends. Mark Bolland had a copy and gave it to the press.

 

[sara1981]

Charles and the 'appalling old waxworks of China...'
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=278442006

PRINCE CHARLES: ONE IS A DISSIDENT
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16731851%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=prince%2dcharles%2d%2done%2dis%2da%2ddissident-name_page.html

Prince's Journal released
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-13510002,00.html

 

[Akilah]

Now we know were Harry gets his rebelliousness, his dissident father perhaps.

 

[Skydragon]

The secretary was Sara Goodall, Mark Bollands crime was to make a statement on behalf of The Mail on Sunday.

Ex-royal secretary suspected of leaking diaries
(Filed: 14/01/2006)

A former secretary who was sacked from the Prince of Wales's office was named in the High Court yesterday as the person suspected of passing copies of private journals written by the Prince to a Sunday tabloid newspaper.

http://telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/14/nprince14.xml

 

[Skydragon]

Now we know were Harry gets his rebelliousness, his dissident father perhaps.

A lot of people do not see Charles as a dissident, they see him as voicing their own concerns.

A rebellious teenage is totally different from someone who is not in agreement with the way things are being handled.

 

[GrandDuchess]

Charles sent a few copies to close friends. Mark Bolland had a copy and gave it to the press.

Does anyone know why Charlest sent copies of his private diaries to others? Shouldn't these things be kept private, and not shared with others? Please enlighten me, I don't really understand that.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Well, I've known a few people who write accounts of a visit etc and circulate them to friends. Of course, Charles knows who he can trust. But Bolland got a copy and did the dirty.

 

[Avalon]

Well, I've known a few people who write accounts of a visit etc and circulate them to friends. Of course, Charles knows who he can trust. But Bolland got a copy and did the dirty.

Bolland didn't receive a copy. As long as I understood, he made copies of the diary, without the permission or the knowledge of the Prince. A very dishonest thing to do .
We all have our private opinions and among them those, we woudln't like to be voiced all over the country.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Really?! I thought he'd been given a copy. What a wicked thing to do. He deserves stringing up.

 

[Skydragon]

Bolland didn't receive a copy. As long as I understood, he made copies of the diary, without the permission or the knowledge of the Prince. A very dishonest thing to do .
We all have our private opinions and among them those, we woudln't like to be voiced all over the country.

Bolland did not make a copy, it was Sara Goodall.

Bolland signed a statement on behalf of the Mail on Sunday, against his former employer, Prince Charles.

 

[carlota]

here's a quite extensive and clear article about charles' diary problem from the times.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2053811,00.html

Britain

The TimesFebruary 23, 2006
The diaries of a dissident Prince

By Andrew Pierce

LAWYERS for the Prince of Wales were yesterday forced to release a private journal that revealed the heir to the throne’s wide-ranging thoughts on Tony and Cherie Blair, the demise of the Royal Yacht Britannia, and an acerbic view of the Chinese President.
Mr Justice Blackburne ruled that extracts from the 3,000-word manuscript, which is at the centre of a privacy battle between the Prince and The Mail on Sunday should be published.
NI_MPU('middle');The newspaper’s lawyers had argued that the journal contained evidence of “clear political hostility”, which the public was entitled to read.
The judge’s decision will be seen as an embarrassing setback for the Prince, who had gone to court with the aim of preventing any further publication of his writings. The journal, written by the Prince as he returned from the handover of Hong Kong to China in the summer of 1997, is scathing about Chinese leadership and both warm and critical of the Prime Minister. He wrote that Mr Blair had spent only 14 hours in Hong Kong. “They then take decisions based on market research and focus groups, on the papers produced by political advisers and civil servants none of whom will have ever experienced what it is they are taking decisions about.”

 

[Skydragon]

How shameful that Charles was put in business class, when everyone else was put in 1st.

I don't disagree with anything that Charles has written, in what was a private account of a trip. A lot of us could probably be hung for some of our private thoughts regarding tabloids like the Mail.

 

[ysbel]

This is some surprising news. Tony Blair has defended Prince Charles for airing his political views.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/02/23/britain.charles/index.html

Somehow I can't imagine that he would and I'm curious as to why.

 

[Skydragon]

Here is the BBC's take on it as well.

Blair says Charles' views helpful


Prince Charles is "perfectly entitled" to voice opinions or privately lobby ministers, the prime minister has said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4742412.stm

 

[Skydragon]

In all of the reports, it has been emphasized that none of Charles' views are party political, that he has always maintained that these are his personal thoughts.
If you read the full transcript of Bollands statement, even he has to agree and is very careful of how he phrases things.

Bollands interpretation of what Charles is supposed to have said, is just that. Another Burrell who likes to tell himself that he had a major say in what he thought Charles should or should not do. Can anyone really see Charles allowing someone to talk to him like that?
Bolland's thoughts and statement are the bitter ramblings of an ex employee, trying to make money out of someone who trusted him, for a short time.

 

[Avalon]

This is some surprising news. Tony Blair has defended Prince Charles for airing his political views.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/02ari/23/britain.charles/index.html

Somehow I can't imagine that he would and I'm curious as to why.

In his diaries Prince Charles called him a very pleasant person, who is fan to talk to. He also said that the PM seems to be a person, who actually listens to what people say. There were more pleasant words about him, so it might have influenced Tony Blair a little.
Though I quite agree with the PM, Prince Charles was perfectly free to expres his opinion.

Skydragon, you are perfectly right of course. I confused them. My fault.

 

[love_cc]

Of course Charles has a right to keep his personal journals private without being published. He can pass his journals to his friends to share his thoughts but this does not mean the press can publish his thoughts without permission. It is a breath of his privacy. I hope that he will win the case.
By now, I hope that Prince Charles will be more careful about his documents. The press has been always interested in what he wrote since his childhood.

 

[trinny]

Of course Charles has a right to keep his personal journals private without being published. He can pass his journals to his friends to share his thoughts but this does not mean the press can publish his thoughts without permission. It is a breath of his privacy. I hope that he will win the case.
By now, I hope that Prince Charles will be more careful about his documents. The press has been always interested in what he wrote since his childhood.

I totally agree with you.