The case of the disappearing Sandringham harriers
It’s a case that would tax the powers of the great Sherlock Holmes.
Consider : there are two dead on the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. Three “witnesses” report an alleged murder in broad daylight, with a prominent member of the Royal Family nearby at the time. No bodies are found despite extensive searches by the police.
A Royal personage of note is implicated, together with two others accompanying him : a Van Cutsem and a gamekeeper. Observers claim to hear shooting in the area before the Royal party arrives.
The dead are said to be two rare hen harriers, distinctive birds of prey with only 20 pairings left in England.
The Royal personage is revealed as Prince Harry. He is questioned by police, along with the rest of his party. All three deny involvement.
Now the Crown Prosecution Service says there is no evidence that a crime has been committed and has dropped the case.
Prince Harry has been vindicated but may feel his honour has been impugned by these baseless allegations.
Elementary, my dear Watson, it’s time for Sherlock to step in.
I think the police should question the Duchess of Cornwall. At a recent engagement, Camilla was photographed wearing a hat adorned with some veeeeeeery unique feathers! Elementary, my dear Watson, indeed!
By Arthur on November 7th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Poor Camilla, she gets blamed for everything.
By John on November 7th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Oh, let’s all weep for poor Camilla. The Duchess, glittering in royal jewels, looked right at home at the state banquet for the Saudi King. Not bad for the woman who, literally, slept her way to the top!
By Arthur on November 7th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Very true, my dear Arthur. Why in the world anyone would be expected to believe that woman to be an appropriate consort for a member of the British Royal Family is quite beyond me. By the way, does anyone know why Charles was glowering and frowning at everyone at the ceremony welcoming the Saudi monarch? Was it because protocol forbade Camilla accompanying Charles? It was remarked upon, negatively, in at least one of the accounts I read.
By Gigi on November 7th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Gigi, I heard that Charles was looking very sorry for himself through most of that visit. He’s actually quite friendly with the Saudi Royal family, so I’m not sure what that was about.
By John on November 7th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Arthur you are a hoot!
By Cate on November 7th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Well, John, I for one would appreciate it if Charles, who is going to be 59 years old in one week, on November 14, could see his way clear to behave like an adult, at least during State Visits! What pathetic behavior! What lese majeste! What an idiot!
Where is Charles’ Nanny when we need her to administer a good skelping to Charles?
By Gigi on November 7th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Gigi, perhaps Charles was pouting because the Saudi King arrived without jewels for the Royal ladies. What a bummer!
By Arthur on November 7th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
LOL Good thought, Arthur. Apparently Charles is anxious to start a private jewel collection for Camilla, a scheme that I find both tasteless and inappropriate.
By Gigi on November 8th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Arthur you’re funny yet agree with you!
I dislike Camilla very much… she represents everything I do not believe in… women who break families look up to her…. it sucks!It’s like that sort of women can win… If she gets het own jewel collection I hope Diana’s ghost appears to her and Charlie and harrasses them til they day they die….. blah..
and I have to say….. Harry looks mighty fine in that picture.. looks mature….lol… good pick John
Blame Camilla! Off with her head! LOL
By Ziny on November 8th, 2007 at 4:48 am
Oh please Charlie is probably mad because Cams could only wear the tiara and had to badger his mother to give Cams her family order. He’s too cheap to buy jewels for the wife and Mummy won’t let her dip into hers. Oh and lets not forget Diana had fabulous jewelry the wife can’t wear. It must really suck to be Camilla. LOL.
By Trudie on November 8th, 2007 at 5:11 am
Ziny, you’re right. Harry is beginning to look the part now. He carries himself well.
By John on November 8th, 2007 at 8:52 am
I have to say of late I am increasingly concerned about the behaviour of Prince Harry whilst his troop are in Iraq fighting for our country this young Prince is on the town nearly every night!
He really does a public engagement, constantly seems to be getting into trouble of some kind, and keeps getting photographed coming out of night clubs having spent a fortune on rare vodkas and bottles of champange.
Before anyone says anything I am a royalist, but I am getting increasingly frustrated by the younger royals behaviour. If they are not careful they are going to find themselves without an adorning public.
Where is this young man heading?
By james on November 8th, 2007 at 11:17 am
James, the problem is, Harry found something he’s very good at : soldiering. He signed up as a career officer in the Army but was prevented from expressing himself fully in the role — for very good reasons, it has to be said.
But it’s not surprising he’s frustrated and doesn’t really know what to do with himself. It’s a pity Chelsy is up at Leeds. She could take him out of himself, perhaps. But he’s a man of action, and he’s not allowed to stretch himself.
By John on November 8th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Has anyone noticed how like James Hewitt Harry is in the picture?
By John on November 8th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Now you are stirring it John! You know I think it is very unfair to constantly be harking to his parentage, as is done by many commentators, the fact is that Charles has raised him, he considers Harry to be his son and Harry considers Charles to be his father. Whatever the truth of the rumours Charles is his father. If God forbid anything happened to William he would be third in line for the throne.
I think these rumours are scurrilous and must be deeply hurtful and upsetting.
Harry is certainly off the rails at the moment, there was quite an insightful article in the Daily Mail (for a change!) saying that he is a little lost since he was prevented going on active duty and his friends are worried about him, saying that he has no purpose and no reason to get up in the morning so he is taking to the drink.
It reminded me of Sebastion in Brideshead Revisited when he used drink to lose himself and hide from his unhappiness.
I think these slurs about his parentage don’t help.
By Eliza on November 8th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Yes, I know, Eliza, but being like someone doesn’t mean they are your biological parent. I have often been likened to a certain Hollywood star (not saying who it is) but he certainly wasn’t my father .
By John on November 8th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Yeah, Yeah! you were stirring it!
I’m likened to everybody, often people say I am so like some random person they know, no one famous though! I reply that I have a common looking face!
By Eliza on November 8th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Prince Harry does not look anywhere near as much like James Hewitt as he resembles the family of Princess Diana, the Spencers. Let us remember that resemblances come from both sides of the family and replicate facial and pigmentation characteristics from generations earlier. Prince Harry is a handsome, boony prince and I agree with Eliza that gossip about parentage is inappropriate and distasteful.
By Gigi on November 8th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
If you saw Harry, alongside his McCorquodale cousins, at Diana’s Memorial Service, you would readily see that he has Spencer blood flowing through his veins, not Hewitt blood.
Also, I read that Princess Diana was upset to learn Charles had DNA tests performed on William and Harry, to make sure both were his sons. I believe this to be true, becasue, Heaven forbid, if William met an early demise, Harry would ascend to the throne in William’s place. The powers that be at the Palace are not going to allow James Hewitt’s bastard to sit on the throne of England!
Sorry for the profanity, John, but I just loved writing James Hewitt’s bastard. It has a certain vitriol to it.
By Arthur on November 8th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
No problem, Arthur, “bastard” has been a common word in Royal circles for centuries.
By John on November 8th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Arthur, I find it hard to believe that Charles would do that. I believe that Harry is Charles’ biological son but just say he wasn’t, what would Charles have done, had a press conference saying that he wasn’t his son, said that I’ll raise him but he can never be King, the test would only be opening a can of worms.
In fact I think Charles would only have DNA tests done if he was full sure that both were his sons.
I know of a case where a man suspected that his fifth child wasn’t his and did DNA tests on all five children and only the first two were his!
By Eliza on November 8th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Whoever Harry is, he’s a great guy and we’re lucky to have him as a Prince. I only wish his many good qualities could be utilized more in the context of the Royal Family. It would be a tragedy if he went off the rails long term.
By John on November 8th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
John, I feel sure that Prince Harry will not do that. The many fine qualities that are required to succeed in the rigorous life of the military are his in abundance. I believe his courage, resiliance, loyalty and stamina will serve him well in the future and serve Britain as well. Add to these the qualities he inherited from beloved Princess Diana, compassion, generosity and a true commitment to charitable pursuits, and we have a wonderful Prince who will withstand the tests of time.
By Gigi on November 8th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Sorry y’all but when I look at Harry I only see Prince Charles and even Prince Phillip at times. Not to mention the Windsor hands that Harry has. How could he be anyone elses son?
By Claudia on November 8th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
dna tests?? You see… he did that because his conscience got the better of him.. since he was cheating he thought that by default everyone cheats… so he thought Diana was cheating when she got pregnant… charles is an idiot…. I blame Camilla for it all! Off with her head I say! Arg!!!!
By Ziny on November 9th, 2007 at 4:08 am
Ziny, this has always been a problem for men. Women know for sure who their children are, but men can never be certain, especially if there’s a title or estate at stake. Sometimes the resemblance says it all, but often it doesn’t show.
Happy the man who can be absolutely sure his children are his.
By John on November 9th, 2007 at 9:57 am
“Has anyone noticed how like James Hewitt Harry is in the picture?”
When I look at him I see James Hewitt’s son, plainly and simply. Harry has obviously worked this out, but his prevented from doing the thing he knows he will excel at. I feel for him.
By kit on November 9th, 2007 at 10:23 am
I agree with you totally, Ziny!
By Gigi on November 9th, 2007 at 3:47 pm