Keywords

Andrew Lownie, royal biographies, rogue royals, privilege, entitlement, criminal activities, emotional immaturity, truth to power, historical narratives, biography writing

Summary

In this engaging conversation, bestselling author Andrew Lownie discusses his experiences and challenges in writing biographies of the British royal family, particularly focusing on the darker aspects of their lives. He explores themes of privilege, entitlement, and the complexities of human behavior, shedding light on the emotional immaturity of royals and the societal implications of their actions. Lownie emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability, while also reflecting on the personal toll of exposing uncomfortable truths.

https://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/

Takeaways

Andrew Lownie is a leading biographer of the British royal family.

Writing about royals is more challenging than writing about spies.

There is a distorted narrative about the royal family that needs to be addressed.

The royal family operates with little accountability or transparency.

Rogue royals often have complex and dark stories that are more interesting.

Entitlement leads to a lack of understanding of boundaries among royals.

The emotional immaturity of royals can be traced back to their childhood experiences.

Whistleblowers play a crucial role in exposing the truth about powerful figures.

Writing controversial biographies can have personal and financial repercussions.

Society is losing old standards of behavior, leading to disillusionment.

Sound bites

"I write about rogue royals."

"He'll never actually face the consequences."

"I have a duty to speak truth to power."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Andrew Lownie

02:57 The Challenges of Writing Royal Biographies

05:34 Exploring the Darker Side of Royal History

08:27 Privilege and Insecurity Among Royals

11:04 The Entitlement of Andrew and Sarah

13:23 Investigating Criminal Activities of the Elite

15:56 The Price of Speaking Truth to Power

18:38 The Emotional Complexity of Royals

21:10 The Role of Whistleblowers in Exposing Truths

23:44 The Impact of Trauma on Behavior

26:38 Personal Growth Through Writing

29:19 Hope for Society Amidst Corruption

39:32 Outro Oct 23 2.mp4