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10 months ago
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The aftermath of the publication of a new book on the Royal Family continues to appear on the front pages of some of Friday's papers. The Daily Express says it would be an "injustice" to reprint the names of two senior royals linked to a racism controversy that appeared in the Dutch language version of Omid Scobie's Endgame.
The Daily Mail's front page is critical of Scobie. It says his insistence he did not include the names in a draft of the book has "unravelled" after the Mail spoke to the Dutch publisher, which reportedly told the paper they appeared in the text. Scobie has told the BBC he does not know how the names ended up appearing in the Dutch version.
Keep calm and carry on is the Royal Family's response to the release, according to the Metro. Senior royals have continued with their public engagements, despite scrutiny created by the book.
The Daily Star's front page is dedicated to Shane MacGowan, who has died age 65. The Pogues frontman was a gifted songwriter who was as well known to many for his wit and hard living as his music. The Star hails him as "King of the hellraisers".
"The bells are ringing out for Shane", says the front of the Sun - a reference to the lyrics of Christmas song Fairytale of New York which he sang alongside Kirsty MacColl. He died following a recent hospital stay after being diagnosed with encephalitis. MacGowan had well documented problems with drugs and alcohol.
The Guardian also features a photo of Shane MacGowan on its front page. The paper leads with news from the COP28 summit in Dubai, where a deal has been agreed to help the "world's poorest and most vulnerable" countries deal with the impacts of climate change.
The Times leads on the latest from the Covid-19 public inquiry, where former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the decision to delay imposing a national lockdown was a mistake. The main image on the front page is of Henry Kissinger, the former US Secretary of State who played a pivotal role in shaping American foreign policy during the Cold War, after his death at 100.
The global stock market is experiencing its biggest rally since before the Covid-19 pandemic as optimism spreads among investors, the Financial Times reports. They are gambling on the end of global interest rate rises being in sight. Its main image is of Alistair Darling, who has died age 70. It describes the former Labour chancellor as the man who "helped steer Britain through financial crisis".
The i leads on an interview with the shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, who says a future Labour government would prioritise improving relations with the European Union. He says he would seek a "shift" in London-Brussels ties and work towards more collaboration on defence and security.
A number of papers have named two senior royals who are alleged by a new book to have speculated about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's unborn child's skin colour.
The Daily Mirror says there is fury at Buckingham Palace about Omid Scobie's Endgame. The paper quotes a Palace source as saying: "The entire Royal Family is united in outrage over this whole episode."
The Guardian says an inquiry is under way into why the names were printed. The publisher in the Netherlands has now withdrawn that edition.
The Daily Mail claims Omid Scobie's defence - that he never produced a version of his book that included names - is unravelling. The paper says the Dutch translator has told it that the names of the royals were in the manuscript she was given to work on.
On Thursday night, Mr Scobie told the BBC he did not know how the Dutch translation came to include the names.
The Daily Telegraph says the royal family is considering legal action. The paper quotes sources close to the Palace as saying "there is no basis to the claims" made about the royals. The paper goes on to say that the row threatens to overshadow the King's appearance at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai.
The Daily Express does not print the names of the two being linked to conversations about Prince Harry and Meghan's son. In a front page comment piece, the paper says it would be "a rank injustice" to name them "especially as they have no effective way of defending themselves".
"Keep calm and carry on," is how the Metro says the family is dealing with the latest speculation. The paper says the royals have shrugged off damaging new twists in what it calls the "racism storm" and have "calmly carried on with their jobs".
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,A number of Friday's papers pay tribute to Shane MacGowan, who has died age 65
Elsewhere, the i leads on an interview with the shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, who says that a "shift" in relations with the European Union would be "the number one priority" for a Labour government.
Mr Lammy says he wants a new defence security pact with Europe and to hold formal meetings with the bloc every four months. But he says he cannot contemplate a political consensus to rejoin the EU in the current political cycle and insists his focus would be to work in the national interests of both Leave and Remain voters.
The deaths of Alistair Darling, Henry Kissinger and Shane MacGowan are all marked in the papers.
The Financial Times hails the "steady hand" of the former Labour chancellor, saying that he "helped steer Britain through the financial crisis".
For the Times he was a "divisive giant". His "tireless negotiations" turned him into a celebrity, but he also "collected many enemies along the way", the paper says.
"And the bells are ringing out for... Shane," reads the headline on the front of the Sun, as it pays tribute to the Pogues frontman. He put the "Fairytale into Christmas," says the paper.
