Robert Lacey
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Robert Lacey

  • Home
  • Biography
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    • 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

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      Latest Books

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Queen Elizabeth ‘Remains Totally in Control’: ‘The Problem Is Physical Mobility’

May 11, 2022
Queen Elizabeth ‘Remains Totally in Control’: ‘The Problem Is Physical Mobility’

The State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday morning saw Prince Charles take on one of the most important duties of his mother Queen Elizabeth.

Prince William also received a taste of what his destiny as the future King will be like as he joined the ceremony for the first time.

By special order of the Queen, Charles stepped in to give the Queen’s Speech at the traditional ceremony after the monarch announced that she was unable to attend amid ongoing mobility issues.

“The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Monday.

But the sight of the two immediate heirs to the Queen sitting together at the Houses of Parliament is more about showing the line of succession rather than indicating Charles is set to take on more of his mother’s constitutional powers.

Royal historian and biographer Robert Lacey calls Tuesday’s ceremony, which also saw Charles’ wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, seated beside him, an “enormously significant moment.”

Prince William, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall CREDIT: BEN STANSALL/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

“She’s clearly thinking of the future and this can be seen alongside the moment she said it was her wish that Camilla be known as Queen Consort, which was another important development this year,” Lacey tells PEOPLE.

“Asking her son Charles and William to attend is clearly about succession, about emphasizing a partnership and teamwork,” he says.

“Regency involves a surrender of constitutional authority, which is very much not happening in this case,” Lacey says.

The royals at the State Opening of Parliament
| CREDIT: HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Charles — like his mother — doesn’t write the speech. That’s a role of the U.K. government led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as it outlines the administration’s upcoming legislation.

“Charles is deputizing for the Queen, as he has done before — and as William and Kate have also started to do in some of the duties they’ve been doing,” Lacey adds.

The only time a regency has been instituted was for George III who was deemed mentally incapable of carrying out the duties of state.

“The sense I get from everyone I speak to is that the Queen remains totally in control of her faculties and of everything at the palace,” he adds. “The problem is physical mobility — and that is not a constitutional or regency issue. She is in charge.”

Prince Charles | CREDIT: ALASTAIR GRANT/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The paradox she faces is that while she can walk, it’s very likely that she’s worried she might stumble, “and the symbolism of her doing that is so enormous that she would not want to put herself in that situation,” Lacey adds.
The Queen has been experiencing mobility issues in recent months and finds it difficult to stand for long periods. Her Majesty has been using a walking cane and even complained about mobility problems, joking during an in-person meeting: “Well, as you can see, I can’t move!”

She also recently shared a small glimpse into her battle with COVID-19 earlier this year, revealing that “it does leave one feeling very tired and exhausted.”

Queen Elizabeth CREDIT: RICHARD POHLE – WPA POOL/GETTY IMAGES

The Queen delegated her royal duty of opening a new session of Parliament to her son and grandson via a letter patent, which enables the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge to jointly exercise that function. No other functions have been delegated by Her Majesty, according to the palace.

While she wasn’t able to attend Tuesday’s ceremony, the Queen has a busy schedule this week. She undertook a call with Australia on Monday and has a planned Privy Council and Prime Minister audience on Wednesday. She’s also expected to undertake some private engagements later in the week, according to the palace.

Looking ahead to next month’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Buckingham Palace has announced that the family members due to attend the historic royal balcony appearance on June 2nd will be limited to those who are actively supporting the Queen in her official work— thus excluding Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and their children.

Robert Lacey suggests that the theme of teamwork lay behind this announcement. Among those invited to join the balcony party is Sir Tim Laurence, Princess Anne’s husband who is not on the official ‘payroll’ but who often joins the princess on public outings and has won the Queen’s approval for his quiet support to his wife and of the whole family — as palace aides were keen to stress last week.

“This is a moment,” adds Lacey, “when Harry and Meghan could have been so useful as fellow sharers-of-the-load. Many Brits see the Sussexes as self-indulgent for having stepped aside because they were not willing to be team-players.”

Read the full article: people.com

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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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