Watch the second royal biographer Andrew Lownie undergoes an intense grilling on GB Information, as Jacob Rees-Mogg lays into his new e book in regards to the Duke and Duchess of York.
Entitled The Rise and Fall of the Home of York, the e book was branded a “salacious hatchet job” by the GB Information host, leaving a visibly shocked Lownie on the again foot.
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Jacob challenged Lownie, claiming his joint biography of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson was full of “gossip” and lacked substance.
Lownie vehemently denied the accusation, urging Jacob to learn the e book earlier than leaping to conclusions—just for the presenter to retort: “I did [read it]!”
“What did you are feeling wanted to be instructed that folks didn’t know?” Jacob pressed.
Lownie replied: “That is the third in a trilogy on royal marriages. I did one on the Mountbattens, one on the Duke of Windsor, and now this.
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“The query individuals stored asking was, ‘What’s the story of the happiest divorced couple ever?’ Persons are intrigued by a pair who have been solely married a short while however, thirty years later, nonetheless reside collectively.
“There was a powerful story there, particularly with Andrew being within the information over Epstein—however what actually me was how they leveraged their royal standing for personal achieve, and the harm that did to the monarchy.”
The dialog rapidly escalated into a unprecedented on-air row, as Jacob started to dissect particular claims within the e book.
He cited one allegation about Prince Philip having an affair with Susan Barrantes, asking bluntly: “What proof do you’ve for that?”
Lownie replied: “My mother-in-law was a buddy of hers.”
Jacob shot again: “Okay, however that’s gossip, isn’t it? That is my fear. It’s fairly a gossipy e book.”
Lownie urged him to seek the advice of the footnotes earlier than dismissing the e book as “gossipy”—however Jacob surprised him by revealing he already had.
“I appeared, I assumed you may point out that. While you take a look at the footnotes, it’s the newspapers,” he mentioned.
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“It’s The Instances. It’s Omid Scobie, who helps one other a part of the Royal Household. It’s the Each day Mail, it’s the Telegraph.
“You mentioned one thing demonstrably not true. It’s newspapers quoting your reporting.”
Lownie countered by directing him to the acknowledgments web page, noting he had carried out three pages' value of interviews.
“Are you right here simply to hijack the e book?” he snapped.
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“No. I’m right here to ask you about it—your sources and the accuracy. Each day Mail, Each day Mail, Each day Mail, New York Instances,” Jacob repeated as he listed the citations.
He then pointed to a passage about Prince Andrew allegedly hiring an escort, quoting: “The e book says, ‘The comic Katy Model has a narrative from a buddy.’ Is {that a} good supply?”
“Typically, that’s all we now have,” Lownie admitted.
Jacob pounced: “That’s my level. You’ve bought salacious gossip, beginning with an unfounded allegation in opposition to Prince Philip. Would you’ve written it whereas he was alive and will have sued you for libel? You’re making sleazy claims with out strong proof.”
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Lownie pushed again, insisting the e book is supported by “an terrible lot” of robust sources, together with on-the-record diplomats, naval personnel, and particular royal representatives.
Jacob acknowledged Lownie had been “honest” in presenting diplomatic sources, noting their views on Andrew have been “blended.”
However the debate flared up once more when Jacob highlighted an anecdote claiming Sarah Ferguson as soon as ate a whole aspect of beef each night time.
“Do you actually consider that?” Jacob requested.
Lownie responded with a swipe of his personal, referencing Jacob’s personal e book: “We all know from the critiques of your e book that clearly quite a bit went flawed.”
“There have been no errors in my e book—individuals simply didn’t prefer it?” Jacob cheekily shot again, because the staggering change drew to a detailed.
The 456-page biography makes explosive claims about Andrew’s adolescence.
In keeping with an unnamed supply cited within the e book, Andrew misplaced his virginity aged eleven. The supply claimed: "He admitted that his second sexual expertise got here earlier than he turned 12 and when he was 13 he had already slept with greater than half-a-dozen ladies."
The supply steered these untimely experiences could possibly be "the basis of Andrew's issues."
The creator revealed that tensions exist between Andrew and the Prince of Wales, noting that "Andrew has not at all times been very well mannered about Catherine." He emphasised that William is "very protecting of his spouse."