The future of the British monarchy was being hotly debated today after a newspaper's sting operation forced Queen Elizabeth's daughter-in-law, the Countess of Wessex, Sophie Rhys-Jones, to quit as head of a public relations company.
"Off with her head" declared the
Mirror
as Ms Rhys-Jones paid the price for making disparaging remarks about British politicians and the royal family to a reporter posing as a sheikh.
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The Countess of Wessex,
Sophie Rhys-Jones |
Several newspapers joined Labour Party members in calling for a shake-up of the royal family's role, size and conduct. They trained their guns on so-called junior royals like Ms Rhys-Jones. But Mr Tony Blair said he was 100 per cent behind the monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth yesterday tried to minimise damage to the royal family after Sunday's News of the Worldtabloid splashed the countess's indiscreet comments across 10 pages.
The queen criticised the press for waging a campaign of "entrapment, subterfuge, innuendo and untruths" against the couple but acknowledged new guidelines were needed on the way royals with careers combined business life with public duty.
The Sunsaid the monarchy would not last another generation in its present form and suggested Prince Charles was hoping a scaled down royal family would save the Crown.
Mr Tony Wright, chairman of a British parliamentary Public Administration Select Committee, was prominent among Labour voices raised in favour of a review of the monarchy's future.
Ms Rhys-Jones said in a statement she regretted the embarrassment she had caused after being taken in by the tabloid sting.