RSS Amplifier

Podcast

The Morton Files

Welcome to my Substack, where I’ll be sharing exclusive book extracts, archive material, interviews, and the untold stories from more than 40 years of covering the Royal Family and the world of celebrity including Tom Cruise, Madonna and the Beckhams

andrew857.substack.comRSS feed ↗20 episodes

Live Last read · last published · next check

Written by

Latest episodes

The Secret Windsor Tapes: Wallis Simpson on the Murder of Sir Harry Oakes

Andrew Lownie gives his take on Wallis Simpson's reminiscences of the still unsolved murder of Sir Harry Oakes.

Play

Princess Margaret's Biggest 'Mustake'? Gangsters, Sunshine and Scandal in the Caribbean

Mustique gave Princess Margaret the freedom she craved but it came at a huge cost to her reputation and ultimately her health.

Tony ‘Snapshot’ Enters the Picture as Margaret Becomes the First King’s Daughter to Marry a Commoner in 450 Years

An extract from ‘Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters’ (2021) by Andrew Morton, published by Michael O’Mara Books in the UK and Grand Central Publishing in the USA.

'Disobedience is My Joy' - The Early Days of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret

The childhood bond and contrasting characters that shaped the royal sisters for life.

The Day Andrew Hijacked My Plane and the World Went Wild over Secret Wedding Rumour

Inside Fleet Street’s frantic, and frequently farcical, hunt for the first photograph of Andrew and Koo Stark together.

The Secret Windsor Tapes (Part Two): Wallis Simpson - China Dossier was 'Venom, Venom, Venom'

The Duchess of Windsor discusses the infamous 'China dossier' and how her 'world blew up on a breakfast tray of letters' as poison pen letters piled up that she couldn't help but read.

Play

The Secret Windsor Tapes: Wallis Simpson - 'It Was as Though I'd Committed a Horrible Murder'

Duchess called the treatment of Duke of Windsor after the abdication 'among the most cleverly devised pieces of destruction of a public man in the eyes of the people, that I've ever seen worked'.

Play

Behind the Scenes of the Royal Wedding That Diana Nearly Called Off

Charles was in tears the night before and Diana considered pulling out, while Camilla loomed large in a pale grey dress and matching pillbox hat.

How the IRA Almost Assassinated the Queen Weeks Before the Royal Wedding

Delighted by the her son's upcoming nuptials, few realised how close the Queen came to assassination during a visit to an oil and gas terminal in the Shetlands.

A Fairytale Wedding Followed by Princess Diana's 'Dark Ages'

A pair of cufflinks was a warning sign of what was to come and Princess Margaret was an early and important ally to a struggling Princess Diana.

‘What Are We Going to Do About My Sister’s Guttersnipe Life?': Queen Elizabeth Despairs Over Princess Margaret and Roddy Llewellyn

Princess Margaret's love affair with Roddy Llewellyn began after a last-minute invitation to a weekend party in Scotland and would go on to cause scandal for the House of Windsor.

Princess Margaret Lets Rip on Fergie - 'You Have Done More to Bring Shame on the Family Than Could Have Been Imagined'

After 1992 toe-sucking scandal Prince Philip said 'You should get to a nunnery or a madhouse' and the Queen's former Private Secretary summed Fergie up as 'Vulgar, Vulgar, Vulgar'.

Send in the (Royal) Clowns: The Day the Windsors Played the Fool

The inside story of the Royal Family's most spectacular own goal, and what it was like to witness it first-hand.

BBC Recorded Prince Charles Obituary Ahead of his 1969 Prince of Wales Investiture

With the monarchy's popularity dwindling throughout in 1960's, there were fears of Prince Charles being assassinated during his investiture as Prince of Wales.

Prince Harry is in Danger of Becoming an Embittered Middle-Aged Man Consumed by Toxic Nostalgia

My interview with Kinsey Schofield about Prince Harry's chaotic and disastrous homecoming last week.

The Queen Rallies a Nation During Covid and Declines Offer to 'Collaborate' with a Departing Harry and Meghan

Evoking her days serving the country during WW2, the Queen's address to the nation was one of the finest moments of her 70 year reign.

Behind the Scenes of Tiaragate : How the Queen's Hopes for the Sussexes Unravelled Even Before the Wedding

Queen Elizabeth II welcomed Meghan with warmth, wisdom and a pearl necklace. Within months, her patience would be put to the test

What Harry Can Learn from Princess Diana on How to Deal with the Press

Diana’s death sparked Harry’s lifelong war with the press but he could learn some lessons from his mother’s approach.

When the Queen Finally Took a Stand Against Her Favourite Son

Queen Elizabeth II had indulged Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor all his life but, even for her, the Newsnight interview was the final straw.

Whatever Love Means: A 'Silly Girl', an Unsure Prince and the Looming Shadow of Camilla Parker Bowles

Charles felt pushed into marriage by Prince Philip, Diana's grandmother had concerns, and Charles and Camilla's Royal Train trip didn't augur well.