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CNN Live Today

Top Aide of Prince Charles Quits

Aired March 13, 2003 - 11:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now for some royal dirt. The House of Windsor is trying to brush away the grime of the latest royal scandal. Prince Charles' top valet quit his job today. A palace investigation concluded there were, indeed, nefarious misdeeds by royal staffers. Among them, accepting gifts in violation of palace rules, and some servants even sold royal gifts to outsiders.
The prince of Wales is on a short visit to Bulgaria this week, but back in London, our Richard Quest is covering the story this morning as only he can.

Good morning.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol. The report, his royal highness, the prince of Wales. You don't get this sort of a pot boiler just in any old bookstore. Let me tell you, this has got it all. It's got the alleged homosexual rape by a top royal courtier. It's got the collapse of the royal butler trial of Paul Burrell, and it's got the sale of those gifts that were given to Prince Charles.

The only thing it hasn't got, Carol, is any blame because, perhaps not surprisingly, in a long report of over 111 pages, it basically says, yes, the prince's household was a bit of a shambles.

It says that there were deficiencies in the the way they looked after their presents. It does say that everybody did what they ought, but there is no names, nobody carries the can (ph). So...

COSTELLO: Why? Why, Richard? Why? Why no names? Why no blame assigned?

QUEST: Because if they had to go to the blame, they'd have to go to the top, and that would the prince of Wales himself, which is why Prince Charles, who conveniently is on a two-day tour of Bulgaria, if you please, Prince Charles has actually said that he finds this report uncomfortable reading, but that he does take the blame and the responsibility.

Now, the man who has resigned, Michael Fawcett, he has the charming nickname of "Fawcett the Fence," because he is the one who flogged all the royal presents, and kept 20 percent for himself.

But you know, isn't it convenient? He resigns today, not a word of him in this report, and not a word in his resignation about why he was going, other than to spend more time with his family.

COSTELLO: But you know -- yes, that is always the reason everybody gives when they leave suddenly.

The serious allegation in this report that the rape charges -- any criminal action being taken?

QUEST: No. What seems to be suggested in this report is that nobody believes the rape. Nobody believes it was true, from the prince of Wales through to the police. What the criticism in the report is that they didn't investigate it further. The man involved was believed to have been partly deranged, he had mental problems. However, what they say is, the prince should have investigated, and that seems to be the complaint.

Across the whole spectrum of Prince Charles' household, we are left with a picture of memos, talks, meetings, conversations, poor note taking, but really no proper controls, and that's why Prince Charles says he will implement the recommendations. But, frankly, Carol, it's going to take much more. They're not calling it a whitewash report, more a gray wash report. It's going to take a lot more...

COSTELLO: I was just going to say, might this affect his chances to be king, but we have to go, so you have to answer me quickly.

QUEST: Absolutely not.

COSTELLO: OK. That was quick, to the point, succinct. Richard Quest, we love you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired March 13, 2003 - 11:19   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now for some royal dirt. The House of Windsor is trying to brush away the grime of the latest royal scandal. Prince Charles' top valet quit his job today. A palace investigation concluded there were, indeed, nefarious misdeeds by royal staffers. Among them, accepting gifts in violation of palace rules, and some servants even sold royal gifts to outsiders.
The prince of Wales is on a short visit to Bulgaria this week, but back in London, our Richard Quest is covering the story this morning as only he can.

Good morning.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol. The report, his royal highness, the prince of Wales. You don't get this sort of a pot boiler just in any old bookstore. Let me tell you, this has got it all. It's got the alleged homosexual rape by a top royal courtier. It's got the collapse of the royal butler trial of Paul Burrell, and it's got the sale of those gifts that were given to Prince Charles.

The only thing it hasn't got, Carol, is any blame because, perhaps not surprisingly, in a long report of over 111 pages, it basically says, yes, the prince's household was a bit of a shambles.

It says that there were deficiencies in the the way they looked after their presents. It does say that everybody did what they ought, but there is no names, nobody carries the can (ph). So...

COSTELLO: Why? Why, Richard? Why? Why no names? Why no blame assigned?

QUEST: Because if they had to go to the blame, they'd have to go to the top, and that would the prince of Wales himself, which is why Prince Charles, who conveniently is on a two-day tour of Bulgaria, if you please, Prince Charles has actually said that he finds this report uncomfortable reading, but that he does take the blame and the responsibility.

Now, the man who has resigned, Michael Fawcett, he has the charming nickname of "Fawcett the Fence," because he is the one who flogged all the royal presents, and kept 20 percent for himself.

But you know, isn't it convenient? He resigns today, not a word of him in this report, and not a word in his resignation about why he was going, other than to spend more time with his family.

COSTELLO: But you know -- yes, that is always the reason everybody gives when they leave suddenly.

The serious allegation in this report that the rape charges -- any criminal action being taken?

QUEST: No. What seems to be suggested in this report is that nobody believes the rape. Nobody believes it was true, from the prince of Wales through to the police. What the criticism in the report is that they didn't investigate it further. The man involved was believed to have been partly deranged, he had mental problems. However, what they say is, the prince should have investigated, and that seems to be the complaint.

Across the whole spectrum of Prince Charles' household, we are left with a picture of memos, talks, meetings, conversations, poor note taking, but really no proper controls, and that's why Prince Charles says he will implement the recommendations. But, frankly, Carol, it's going to take much more. They're not calling it a whitewash report, more a gray wash report. It's going to take a lot more...

COSTELLO: I was just going to say, might this affect his chances to be king, but we have to go, so you have to answer me quickly.

QUEST: Absolutely not.

COSTELLO: OK. That was quick, to the point, succinct. Richard Quest, we love you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com