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Royal Drama III

*Is there really a rift between William and Harry? Rumors are greatly exaggerated.

*Did Anne really shaft Donald Trump? Beware the falsities of wagging tongues.

*Did Elizabeth II complain when Trump's helicopter fucked up her (Lisbet's) backyard? Yes. Yes, she did complain.

*Does Prince Philip still ride horses? Yep.

*Who saved the monarchy mid-century? It wasn't really George VI. It was truly his wife, operating behind the scenes. You know her as Helena Bonham Carter, from "The King's Speech."

*Is Elizabeth II ridiculous? Maybe. Here's the thing. When Diana died, the people of England really wanted Elizabeth II to fly the royal flag at half mast. People feel angry when they're in pain, and targets become useful. E II could have just put the flag down. But she didn't. She twiddled her thumbs. She took the flag away and put up a national flag in its place. That's the flag that was eventually lowered. A weirdly bitchy compromise. Also, the relationship between E II and the British people seems strangely, intermittently sadomasochistic, like something you'd see in Roald Dahl's "Matilda."

That's what I learned in Britain....
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