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The 'black spider memos': how Prince Charles hopes to persuade The 'black spider memos': how Prince Charles hopes to persuade
(about 4 hours later)
Prince Charles’s ministerial correspondence give the clearest picture yet of the mind of the heir to the throne, and of what he calls his “mobilising” and critics call his “meddling”.Prince Charles’s ministerial correspondence give the clearest picture yet of the mind of the heir to the throne, and of what he calls his “mobilising” and critics call his “meddling”.
The material – contained within 44 pieces of correspondence released in two waves over the past month – amounts to a relative avalanche in the culture of secrecy that still grips royal relations with Whitehall.The material – contained within 44 pieces of correspondence released in two waves over the past month – amounts to a relative avalanche in the culture of secrecy that still grips royal relations with Whitehall.
But for a prince who is said by allies to be planning to continue his “heartfelt interventions” in public life when he finally becomes king, there are now indications of the areas in which those interventions will concentrate – and the manner in which they will be conducted.But for a prince who is said by allies to be planning to continue his “heartfelt interventions” in public life when he finally becomes king, there are now indications of the areas in which those interventions will concentrate – and the manner in which they will be conducted.
Persistent, detailed, passionate and sometimes politely menacing, the missives the Prince of Wales sends to Whitehall often coat strident demands for government action in self-deprecation and flashes of humour.Persistent, detailed, passionate and sometimes politely menacing, the missives the Prince of Wales sends to Whitehall often coat strident demands for government action in self-deprecation and flashes of humour.
Among Charles’s favourite wheedling phrases is: “If I may say so,” and “I am not sure if I managed to mention”. These equivocal formulations drip in irony when you read the emphatic demands that follow and the hundreds of detailed words about decaying buildings, the power of homeopathy to tackle irritable bowel syndrome or the power of organic vegetables to help hospital patients get better.Among Charles’s favourite wheedling phrases is: “If I may say so,” and “I am not sure if I managed to mention”. These equivocal formulations drip in irony when you read the emphatic demands that follow and the hundreds of detailed words about decaying buildings, the power of homeopathy to tackle irritable bowel syndrome or the power of organic vegetables to help hospital patients get better.
There is little sense that Charles feels anything other than entitled to weigh in with secretaries of state and ministers holding portfolios that matter to him.There is little sense that Charles feels anything other than entitled to weigh in with secretaries of state and ministers holding portfolios that matter to him.
Writing these kind of letters, as he has done now for decades, he manages to soften even the most brazen demand. When he proposes putting his own aides right inside the Whitehall machine, it is as if he was suggesting a casual supper in one letter to Caroline Flint when she was housing minister. “It would be wonderful, as we discussed, if we could establish an exchange of secondees,” he writes.Writing these kind of letters, as he has done now for decades, he manages to soften even the most brazen demand. When he proposes putting his own aides right inside the Whitehall machine, it is as if he was suggesting a casual supper in one letter to Caroline Flint when she was housing minister. “It would be wonderful, as we discussed, if we could establish an exchange of secondees,” he writes.
Indeed, the frequency of letters he sends welcoming new ministers to their posts suggests a black spider memo from the heir to the throne is as much a milestone of political promotion as the arrival of a ministerial car.Indeed, the frequency of letters he sends welcoming new ministers to their posts suggests a black spider memo from the heir to the throne is as much a milestone of political promotion as the arrival of a ministerial car.
The hand-written sign-offs by some ministers, such as Andy Burnham, must only cement his sense of entitlement. After promising to look into an NHS trial in England of the prince’s favoured complementary medicines, the current hot contender for Labour leadership gushed, as per Debrett’s advice: “I have the honour to remain, Sir, your Royal Highness’s most humble and obedient servant.”The hand-written sign-offs by some ministers, such as Andy Burnham, must only cement his sense of entitlement. After promising to look into an NHS trial in England of the prince’s favoured complementary medicines, the current hot contender for Labour leadership gushed, as per Debrett’s advice: “I have the honour to remain, Sir, your Royal Highness’s most humble and obedient servant.”
Another trick Charles uses to soften the blow of the demands to come is a flash of empathy. He began one letter (on embossed paper from his Scottish estate of Birkhall) to Alan Johnson, then health secretary: “It was very good to have a chance to talk to you the other day and I only hope I didn’t delay you getting to Hull!”Another trick Charles uses to soften the blow of the demands to come is a flash of empathy. He began one letter (on embossed paper from his Scottish estate of Birkhall) to Alan Johnson, then health secretary: “It was very good to have a chance to talk to you the other day and I only hope I didn’t delay you getting to Hull!”
At other moments, he gives off a strong sense of victimisation. He complained to Johnson about the “waves of invective over the years from parts of the Medical and Scientific Establishments” (capped up as if a single and somewhat sinister body).At other moments, he gives off a strong sense of victimisation. He complained to Johnson about the “waves of invective over the years from parts of the Medical and Scientific Establishments” (capped up as if a single and somewhat sinister body).
To Flint, he complained: “Councils still prevaricate and countless opportunities for providing a mixed form of housing tenure in attractive surroundings are being tragically and scandalously lost”.To Flint, he complained: “Councils still prevaricate and countless opportunities for providing a mixed form of housing tenure in attractive surroundings are being tragically and scandalously lost”.
It was Flint who received perhaps the Prince’s purplest prose of this latest batch of letters when he told her “the terrible loss of value represented by decaying buildings such as Denbigh Hospital in Wales and Torr Vale Mill in Derbyshire, for instance, makes me weep!”It was Flint who received perhaps the Prince’s purplest prose of this latest batch of letters when he told her “the terrible loss of value represented by decaying buildings such as Denbigh Hospital in Wales and Torr Vale Mill in Derbyshire, for instance, makes me weep!”
He wrote of “the enormous frustration” where progress has ground to a halt “because of the reluctance or inability of local councils to assert their powers at the optimum time to save historic buildings from complete dereliction at the hands of careless private ownership”. He is a Guardianista in disguise perhaps.He wrote of “the enormous frustration” where progress has ground to a halt “because of the reluctance or inability of local councils to assert their powers at the optimum time to save historic buildings from complete dereliction at the hands of careless private ownership”. He is a Guardianista in disguise perhaps.
But he quickly follows up the emotion with concrete demands on behalf of his own power base, in this case one of his charities: “In both these cases my Trust has sympathetic developers and sponsors waiting in the wings.”But he quickly follows up the emotion with concrete demands on behalf of his own power base, in this case one of his charities: “In both these cases my Trust has sympathetic developers and sponsors waiting in the wings.”
These are not letters that ministers can brush off. They make explicit demands and the minsters’ responses to them are detailed and lengthy. These are not letters that ministers can brush off. They make explicit demands and the ministers’ responses to them are detailed and lengthy.
Yet sometimes Charles seems to be urging policy changes based largely on the people he has personally met or visits he has been on.Yet sometimes Charles seems to be urging policy changes based largely on the people he has personally met or visits he has been on.
So, on one summer’s day in July 2008, Charles was sat in Highgrove, his Gloucestershire home with its organic vegetable garden and organic farm, when he took out his famous black ink pen to send a missive to the health secretary in London.So, on one summer’s day in July 2008, Charles was sat in Highgrove, his Gloucestershire home with its organic vegetable garden and organic farm, when he took out his famous black ink pen to send a missive to the health secretary in London.
Charles opened blithely: “It made me wonder if you had heard about an initiative which links hospital catering to local farmers’ hubs, bringing benefit to patients (better quality food), the farmers (a reliable and local market) and the environment (lower food miles and less waste)?” He offers to put the secretary of state in touch with the “middleman” providing the quality provisions.Charles opened blithely: “It made me wonder if you had heard about an initiative which links hospital catering to local farmers’ hubs, bringing benefit to patients (better quality food), the farmers (a reliable and local market) and the environment (lower food miles and less waste)?” He offers to put the secretary of state in touch with the “middleman” providing the quality provisions.
Demanding changes in spending on complementary medicines (whose efficacy is debatable) or advocating the benefits of an organic carrot, the Charles’ letters reveal a man taking his interests, however controversial, intensely seriously. Demanding changes in spending on complementary medicines (whose efficacy is debatable) or advocating the benefits of an organic carrot, Charles’ letters reveal a man taking his interests, however controversial, intensely seriously.