The Countess of Wessex inadvertently reignited controversy over unauthorised attempts to film Prince William’s first days at university by offering her thoughts on the delicate situation this weekend. Sophie reportedly upset the Palace by calling the video “harmless” and attempting to pass blame from her husband Prince Edward’s Ardent production company on to the freelance crew which shot the much-discussed footage.
“Bigger things are at issue here,” Sophie told producer Paul Watson. “Edward, after all, is a member of the Royal Family.”
Sophie reviewed the film – which is thought to have no actual footage of William at university – and deemed the footage “harmless”. “We all live in a democracy, don’t we?”, she is said to have told friends, expressing her belief that Prince Charles’s reaction was perhaps over the top.
However, the comments did little if anything to defuse the situation that originally left Charles “incandescent” with rage last week. “Comments such as these are not helpful,” reports a senior Buckingham Palace official. “In fact, saying anything at the moment is not helpful. I would not be surprised if someone had a quiet word with her.” In the wake of her comments, insiders say the Palace could put a gag order on the gaffe-prone PR executive.
The Queen is said to be less than thrilled with this latest turn of events and is scheduled to meet with Prince Charles later this week to discuss the issue. “Up until Friday, the Queen had been dealing with the implications of the cancellation of the Commonwealth heads of government conference and her tours of Australia and New Zealand,” said one palace official. “Prince Edward’s unhelpful intervention was not on the agenda.” This latest blunder has provoked a full-scale row betweeen Charles and his brother, still believed to be on icy terms following the “fake sheikh” scandal earlier this year.
The film controversy erupted last week after members of an Ardent productions crew were found on the Fife campus attempting to capture shots of Wills in his first days as a university student. They were the only members of the media to remain behind after the press was asked to leave, ignoring the understanding reached to protect the young royal’s privacy. Ardent later apologised for the mishap but insisted the university had approved their filming. A university spokesman later denied issuing any such approbation.
Further embarrassment may be on the horizon for Edward and his beleaguered firm following revelations that the freelance crew bribed undergraduates with £50 worth of takeaway food to discuss how Wills has settled in.
All of the footage will be turned over to Buckingham Palace shortly.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
