The Royal Family need to humble now more than ever - Christa Ackroyd

Although every other news outlet is continuing to place him on their front pages I am planning to revert back to my Essential Law for Journalism (the bible in my day for what you can and can’t say) and keep schtum while, adding of course, that the person in question vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

I will of course continue, as you will, to see coverage of the case as police conclude their search on his home and former home and continue their investigations but until they say anything or do anything neither will I.

Why? Because that is the law.

Or it was in my day that upon the point of arrest no opinions or anything that might prejudice a potential trial can be published, with a sharp reminder that a defence against any alleged wrong doing, used by many a wily barrister, is that anyone deemed to have been found guilty in the court of public opinion cannot be seen to have a fair trial.

If indeed a case should come before the courts proper.

I have my opinions. Of course I do. I keep seeing what I am sure will become an iconic photograph of his former Royal Highness slumped in the back of a car being driven back home after being interviewed for 11 hours by police investigating wrongdoing in public office.

And it’s not an edifying sight, to say the least. Which I am doing. Saying the least that is. So guess what I am talking about this week? The Royals.

Has the current police investigation damaged the future of the monarchy. Of course it has. Not since 1647 has a senior Royal been arrested.

Charles I was found guilty of high treason which he denied on the grounds that no court had jurisdiction over his god given power, an irony not lost on me following the present King’s statement to the effect that no one is above the law, not least his brother, when he said the law must take its course.

Of course it must and we must be careful to ensure that it does without us ruining its chances.

But, and it is a big but, this is no minor blemish on the House of Windsor. Small wonder Prince William told onlookers at the BAFTAs he was having difficulty keeping calm “at the moment”.

I expect he is apoplectic and deeply worried. One thing is for sure the anti monarchists are understandably on the march.

Onlookers say Prince William plans big changes to the institution when he takes over the throne. May I humbly suggest those changes begin now.

He can start by stopping stamping his foot at his brother. And recognise that while sibling rivalry is one thing, the British public don’t want to see sulking at such a time of crisis. It is spoilt, petulant and above all ridiculous.

When I think of the public outrage whipped up against Harry and Meghan in comparison to what we are witnessing now it has been an overblown lot of nonsense.

Was it really only a few years ago that this couple were deemed to be ‘the greatest threat to the future of the monarchy?’ And their ‘crimes’ considered unforgivable and treasonable?

Well it would seem they have made the right decision to leave the fold and attempt to stand on their own two feet, misguided though they were to wash all their dirty laundry in public not because of who their family is but because it is never the best solution.

The best solution in my book is to do exactly what they are doing and that is living their best life away from a family who seemed, at the time, to consider their actions unforgivable having broken the Royal mantra of never complain never explain, a mantra decimated by a young couple in obvious pain whom I suspect are breathing a sigh of relief to be away from it all.

So let me look at what they were accused of. Telling their side of the story? Why not if as I suspect there was plenty of briefings going in against them.

An over stressed bride having a mini meltdown over a bridesmaid dress? A new mum to be photographed with her hand in her pregnant stomach deemed to be attention seeking? Hardly unique on both counts.

And then they dare to leave the fold when it got too much, run away to the sunshine and try to earn their own money by selling jam, books and documentaries.

Well good for them is all I can say. And I trust they are still happy, in love and raising their family together by any means they can. It has nothing to do with us. We are not paying for them.

Of course I think they went too far with the infamous Oprah Winfrey tell all interview. I suspect they might now think so too.

But it is nothing compared to Mr Mountbatten Windsor’s attempts to escape the heat when he congratulated himself on it all going rather well following his Emily Mailtliss car crash of a televised explanation in a bid to redeem himself in the eyes of the public.

But then that is straying into territory I have promised myself I will not visit. For a while yet.

Meghan and Harry were pilloried the length and breadth of this country. He had to wait for a quick chat with his father while she sat on a plane and has had to beg for protection if and when he visits to try to heal the wounds undoubtedly caused, despite the fact he is quite obviously a potential target.

While it took the stripping away of titles, a payment of several million pounds to a woman he denied having met, and a banishment from his humongous house to a not too shabby farm on the Sandringham estate for the same to happen to his uncle.

Of course the Royal family needs a shake-up. But it didn’t need to be shaken to its roots to begin the process.

In failing to act quicker to slim down the empire of hangers on, examine the list of those ‘entitled’ to grace and favour housing and accept that while a large part of the country struggles to pay their heating bills, there will be little sympathy for them.

But the ball, and I don’t mean the tiaras and frocks type of ball, is now very firmly in their very Royal court. They have been humbled that’s for sure. They have now to be seen to be humble in doing their duty, and that means being dragged into the 21st century like the rest of us.

In Europe there are many counties that revere their Royal families. But they travel around on bicycles leaving the guilded carriages for the pomp and ceremony that is still very much a part of our heritage and Britishness.

I like the idea of a Royal Family. But I don’t admire all of them. Even less so now. So let this be a warning. If a self confessed Monarchist like myself is considering their position in our lives, it is time they did the same.