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Prince Charles has proved himself to be a TRUE Prince by having the heart to pardon Wendy Berry, who authored "The Housekeeper's Diary," a tell-all about her life as a housemaid to Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince and Princess of Wales. Berry detailed her view of the collapse of the Wales marriage in her book, so brilliantly written ( without ghostwriter ), that in fact, the Royals should've PAID her to write more! After all, if not for Wendy Berry's book, people wouldn't have read--from a NON-brownnose--how much Prince Charles loved his sons, and how they loved him! All the other Royal tomes of that time painted a dour, sour image of the Prince, making him look as if he didn't care that William might've been seriously brain-damaged by his skull-fracture; or didn't care or give love at all, or even enjoy the company of his sons, or they of him. Berry related MANY, many incidents putting the lie to all that propaganda intended to ruin Prince Charles' public image! Indeed, for too long, so many thought Charles and his sons had a cold, unloving relationship, when, in fact, he's always indulged them, spoiling them, but also always hugged, kissed and loved them--and that is known to be the truth, because Wendy Berry, a non-partison observer, cut through all of the bull spewed by the warring factions on either side of the Wales--views of whom have always been suspect. Berry was BELIEVABLE.
Yet, in 1995, Prince Charles sought --and won-- a High Court injunction preventing her from publishing her book ( too late! as it was already in print, in America! ), and winning the right to claim profits on books already published, as well as any fees for appearances on talk shows, lectures, etc. Mrs. Berry could also have been put in jail for violating the terms of her confidentiality agreement. But unless the Royals sought extradition, they could do nothing so long as Berry remained in self-imposed exile. For 5 years, Berry fled from the British courts, and under the cover of an alias, moved from America, to Canada, to Ireland--until she heard that two of her sons were ill: Mathew, 30, with a brain tumor, and Andrew, 38, with leukemia ( now in remission ). The mother of four grown sons, eight grandchildren ( and who has an elderly mother to care for ) risked her freedom by quietly slipping home to England to nurse her ailing sons. Berry: "I just desperately wanted to be by their sides to look after them, like any mother would; that's why I came home. We are a very close family, and have always been there for one another."
Defending her decision to write her memoirs, Mrs, Berry claimed that she never intended them to be published--but that she had been "put under so much pressure, that [ she ] agreed." She claims that the published book only carried half of her story about what was going on with Diana.
When she resurfaced in Merseyside, England, early October 2000, it created a media furor of speculation as to whether or not the Royals would make an example of her, by imprisoning her! The Royals, for years, have been irritated by so many of their ex-employees breaking their confidentiality agreements--or finding loopholes, as in the case of Patrick Jephson, ex-Private Secretary to Princess Diana, whose recent book, "Shadows of a Princess," which was condemned by Prince William and others--that they were expected to play hardball. Fortunately, Prince Charles proved himself to have the True Grace and Class of a Prince and a Genuine Nobleman: when he heard of Mrs. Berry's family problems, he granted her clemency, and will not throw her in prison. He has also decided not to claim the profits from the book to which he was entitled under a separate court order. Had he done so, it would've forced the 68-year-old pensioner to sell her home in Thornton, Merseyside. She HAD made a considerable sum--£200,000; but I think that if the Prince had pressed for it, and a jail term, he would've looked like a meanie. It shows political savvy, as well as kindness. But the Prince IS kind at heart, and would not want to impoverish and imprison his ex-housekeeper.
Other employers facing similar "faithless" employees could take a lesson.
Wendy Berry had not, in my opinion, written the book for reasons of greed. The marital problems of the Waleses had caused upheaval for their employees. Mrs. Berry had been told that Highgrove was being mothballed at the time she was pink-slipped; but that hadn't been true. She didn't want to lose her position or salary, as neither did her fellow Highgrove staff. Fairness demands that once the Prince had decided to live at Highgrove primarily, the employees should've been reinstated. Fact is, he NEVER had wanted to mothball it! It's wrong to be dishonest! Did he simply want a fresh staff? Then he should've said so!
Also, as noted before, this book was one of the most valuable, ever written, about the Royals. Berry's revelations of waste in the Royal household forced needed changes of outrages that had gone on for too long; i.e., when the Prince went hunting with guests, he liked to be served whiskey, with hard-boiled eggs, upon return. But Mrs. Berry was taught to boil the eggs in advance, so that the guests didn't have to wait. But if the Prince and his guests were late, sometimes 2 dozen hard-boiled eggs at a time would be discarded! Ridiculous! Why couldn't the Prince and his guests WAIT the 3-6 minutes to boil an egg?
A more disgusting waste was of all the gifts sent to them from various manufacturers, in hopes that if the fashionable Diana or Charles, or William or Harry wore or used their product, it would promote their product. So what? Big deal that they did! But the Wales edict was to incinerate all of these silk blouses, shirts, dresses, trousers, wooden rocking horses, stuffed toys, etc.--so that "they wouldn't be exploited for their Royal connection"! STUPID! LET them be exploited! If you don't want them, wear or use them once, and AUCTION them off, and give the cash to charity! Or give them directly to charity! Or let the servants have them! ANYTHING but simply BURNING them! You'd think that a man so concerned with the environment, as Prince Charles is, would be appalled by not only the waste, but the vile fumes and air pollution caused by the burning of material not meant to be burned! Some materials cause toxic, choking, vile fumes! You should be ashamed, Charles! But I think that Wendy Berry's book made many likewise outraged people complain, thus forcing a change.
And I think that one good change would be to have a suggestion box, so that employees of the Royals, too timid to put forth their views and needs could have a forum to connect directly with their Royal employer, who should of course be concerned with the needs, cares, concerns of those who work for him/her. Besides, those on "ground-level" would notice vital things missed by the ivory tower dwellers, and their immediate ( and sometimes high-falutin ) higher-level employees. Having been in that position myself, I can speak for many of us, who have enough intelligence to see a problem that needs fixing, long before the "higher-ups"; and it is a frustrating position to be in.
Next time, Dear Prince, listen when ( even ) your "lowly" employees speak--and encourage them to do so. I know for a fact that Prince Charles is not a snob, but he does maintain the traditional British barrier between "master and servant"--for purposes of preventing anarchy, et. al., which is quite reasonable; but an anonymous suggestion box might be just the thing.
COPYRIGHT ©2000 SUSAN BROWN
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