Robert Lacey
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Robert Lacey

  • Home
  • Biography
  • Books
    • Latest Books

      Battle of Brothers

      June 24, 2021

      Latest Books

      The Crown Volume 2: The Official Companion

      November 19, 2019

      Latest Books

      The Crown: The Official Companion

      October 1, 2017

      8.3
      Latest Books

      Model Woman

      June 16, 2015

      8.3
      Latest Books

      Grace: Her Lives – Her Loves

      June 11, 2014

      Latest Books

      Gulf Charities and Islamic Philanthropy

      March 18, 2014

      Latest Books

      A Brief Life of the Queen

      January 31, 2012

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      As of 1 January 2023, Robert Lacey is…

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      Harry and Meghan? John and Yoko? Spot the difference! 

      December 4, 2022

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      The Crown does NOT tell lies

      November 9, 2022

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      The Crown: Never a truer word was said…

      November 5, 2022

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      Yet another new Prime Minister? ’Dear! Oh, dear!’

      October 21, 2022

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      Encounters with Elizabeth What was it like to…

      May 31, 2022

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      My kitchen EXPLODED when the Queen came to…

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News

What next for the House of Saud?

October 22, 2018
What next for the House of Saud?

Robert Lacey wrote this Opinion article for The Telegraph about his friend and co-writer, the late Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi:

“Jamal Khashoggi would not kick a cat. The suggestion in the long-delayed Saudi admission of his death, that the shy and avuncular Jamal would throw a punch at anyone, let alone fifteen thugs flown from Riyadh to detain him, is ludicrous – and an insult to the memory of a cherished friend. Jamal Khashoggi’s ideas could be fiery. But his mien and manner were peaceable – diffident, even.

“Did those Saudis fly to Turkey merely to question Jamal, then take him back to the Kingdom (in itself, a matter of illegal abduction)? In which case, why bring along a blade saw and a forensic scientist skilled in body dissection, as Turkish sources have claimed? And where is the corpse resulting from this alleged scuffle-that-went-wrong?

“Correctly or otherwise, the world’s media has concluded that the short-tempered Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) was the man who inspired this whole attack. In which case, why has his father, King Salman, entrusted the murder enquiry to him?

“Shame is always in short supply in Saudi – it’s rare that the royal family will admit mistakes.

“But insiders were reporting encouraging hints of change from Riyadh. King Salman had selected one of the clan’s elder statesman, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Mecca, to fly to Turkey to start the investigations of what happened in that now sinister consulate building – taking the investigation dossier away from MBS. Khalid Al-Faisal is exactly the type of senior prince who would make a respected new Crown Prince and future King.

“In a similar category is Prince Khalid bin Salman, 30, the King’s personable younger son, who has made a favourable impression as Saudi Ambassador to Washington. Among the young man’s admirers was Jamal himself, who met the prince and was reported to have enjoyed some friendly conversations, despite their differences. The week after Jamal’s disappearance, the King invited KBS home for consultations, prompting talk in the capital of some dynastic readjustment.

“One of these two Prince Khalids, older and younger, it was suggested, might be in line for promotion – or even the creation of some double act that might diminish the stifling powers of MBS. This would be a return to the traditional style in which the House of Saud has always operated – a collective that shared decision-making between the varying forces and families within the six thousand-strong clan.

“Since coming to power in June 2017, MBS, 33, has robustly overturned these collegiate mechanisms, concentrating power into his own hands to a much-resented degree. Was his father, people started wondering in the aftermath of Istanbul, planning to return to the old, more-evenly spread way of things?

“Not in the short-term, it would seem. Salman has taken back the Khashoggi dossier from Khalid Al-Faisal, placing it firmly in the hands of MBS – so the Crown Prince is once again investigator, judge and jury in his own case.

“But how long can this young man’s power endure? For the past year MBS has travelled the world to plaudits – but the murder of Khashoggi has changed all that, and as the House of Saud contemplates who will succeed Salman, they must consider the question marks that Istanbul has raised.

“Who do they want to represent their Kingdom in the decades ahead, for what democratic western country will ever receive MBS again with fanfares? Will any British prime minister, for example, ever again invite this Prince (or, in the future, King) to shake hands with them and stand on the steps of Downing Street – with the memory of Jamal Khashoggi and his fate?”

Read the full article on The Telegraph

Robert’s recent articles with Jamal

Washington Post: What Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince can learn from Queen Elizabeth II
https://www.robertlacey.com/2018/02/28/what-saudi-arabias-crown-prince-can-learn-from-queen-elizabeth-ii/

Guardian: The crown prince doesn’t listen to Saudis – why would he listen to Theresa May?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/06/crown-prince-saudis-theresa-may-britain-saudi-arabia-money

Washington Post: Why Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince should Visit Detroit
https://www.robertlacey.com/2018/03/22/why-saudi-arabias-crown-prince-should-visit-detroit/

Jamal KhashoggiSaudi Arabia
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Robert Lacey

Robert Lacey

British historian and writer

Robert Lacey is a British historian noted for his original research, which gets him close to – and often living alongside – his subjects. He is the author of numerous international bestsellers. lege felicter - may you read happily

Lege feliciter - may you read happily

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As the Platinum Jubilee begins with news of Camill As the Platinum Jubilee begins with news of Camilla’s elevated status, the Queen, Charles and William are making the big decisions as a trio. 

Robert Lacey writes in @thetimes. Article also on Robert’s website: Robertlacey.com

#robertlacey #platinumjubilee #royalfamily #thequeen
Robert lacey writes for the BBC as The Queen celeb Robert lacey writes for the BBC as The Queen celebrates her #platinumjubilee 

Full article on the BBC website: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60201088
As we approach the 70th anniversary of The Queen’s accession on February 6th, Robert Lacey selects his top pick of books about the Royal Family and The Queen. 

shepherd.com/best-books/about-the-queen

#royalfamily #PlatinumJubilee
Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Story of a Family in Tumult

First published in hardback: 15 October 2020

What drove Prince William and Prince Harry from the closest of brothers into very different, now distanced men? How has the painful, public unravelling of Prince Charles and Diana’s marriage reverberated through generations? What parts have Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle played in helping their husbands to choose divergent paths? And how does the Queen feel, marshalling her feuding heirs and looking ahead to the future of the British monarchy?

Moving and unvarnished, this is the most intimate insight yet of division in the royal family.

#battleofbrothers #royalfamily #harryandmeghan #williamandkate #britishmonarchy #robertlacey #christmasreads
Little Man - Meyer Lansky and the gangster life by Little Man - Meyer Lansky and the gangster life by Robert Lacey in 1991

Little Man is a book about organised crime unlike any other yet written. If, in the mythology of organised crime, Al Capone symbolised the crude menace of the machine gun and the baseball bat, Meyer Lansky stood for the brains, the sophistication, the hot money, the sheer cleverness of it all. This brilliant biography and social history separates the strands of fact and legend in Meyer Lansky’s – the Godfather of Godfathers – career, revealing a truth about the gangster life in America that is far more fascinating and dramatic than fiction.

#biography 
#meyerlansky 
#americanhistory 
#robertlacey
Extracts from Robert Lacey's book "Battle of Broth Extracts from Robert Lacey's book "Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Story of a Family in Tumult" are being featured in The Times this week. 

In Today's article Robert Lacey said allegations against the Duchess of Sussex led to a bitter row between brothers who were once inseparable.

You can read the full article from the link in the bio.

#MeghanandHarry
#WilliamandKate
#TheCrown
#BattleofBrothers
#RoyalFamily
Speaking earlier, Robert Lacey said: “Prince Ph Speaking earlier, Robert Lacey said:

“Prince Philip has been such an integral part of our life. Playing such a key role in the life of the nation.

It was no accident that we decided to feature Prince Philip very strongly in the Crown episode about the moon landing – capturing his interests in science and how he came to understand that science can only take you so far. He went on to develop a strong personal religious faith.

He also helped in bringing the monarchy into touch with everyday life in a fresh way. So many of The Queen’s fresh ideas and fresh initiatives came from this remarkable man.

Prince Philip will be remembered for his sardonic smile, hands behind the back, often unfailingly 2 steps behind Her Majesty. Always there in the most supporting sense.”

Photograph from 1972 in Robert Lacey's book Majesty. “Queen Elizabeth was always front, but Prince Philip was always center.”
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