The Princes and the Press review – more degrading airing of the royal dirty laundry

BBC programme is a compelling analysis of the troubled relationship between media and monarchy

A few days before her wedding, Meghan decided she wanted to wear a particular tiara with emeralds. True, this isn't the sort of issue that should trouble citizens of a mature democracy but when it comes to royals, Britain is neither mature nor, let's face it, democratic. Indeed, Amol Rajan, the BBC media editor who presented the Princes and the Press (BBC Two), is a declared republican who once branded the royal family as absurd" and the media as a propaganda outlet" for the monarchy. As his measured, compelling analysis of the troubled relationship showed, he may have been right about the former, but the latter? Not so much. The media, we might conclude from his programme, may be driving the monarchy to self-destruct, which would, ironically enough, suit his earlier republican views.

Back to tiaras. There was a problem: the Duchess of Sussex could not be allowed to wear the emerald tiara because it had some unfortunate history to do with Russia, according to the Sun's former correspondent Dan Wootton. We never learned what that history was nor why it should matter. What we did learn from Wootton's report is that Harry reportedly shouted at a royal dresser (who is a person, not a thing) that whatever Meghan wants, Meghan gets." This in turn prompted the Queen to tell somebody off.