Courting Disaster

by Malcom J. Barker, T.C. Sobey

This book is totally different to any previous publications about the British Monarchy.

Malcolm Barker - who at the age of twenty-one was one of the youngest people ever to join the Royal Household as an Official - has written a fascinating insight into life in Queen Elizabeth II's Court. Rather than concentrating on the Royal Family themselves, Mr Barker focuses on the people that surround them, from the Queen's most senior advisors down to the most humble staff. Behind the glamourous facade of Court life there lies the appalling truth - that the Royal Household personnel regard themselves as being of far more importance than the Monarch herself. The result is a litany of corruption, blatant sexual perversion and gross disloyalty, which is completely out of control, with Queen Elizabeth and her family innocently trapped in the middle of it.

Because of this, Malcolm Barker's story is full of amusing anecdotes and bizarre humor. Lurking behind the endless scandals there is a list of characters which a comedy script writer could never invent; these are people who so happily defy their entrusted responsibilities that one can only marvel at the boldness of their antics.

In 'Courting Disaster' one enters a hitherto unexplored world, which makes compelling and thought-provoking reading, and which more than justifies the title of the book.

216 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1990

Reviews

[✨]

The author got in big trouble for this & it wasn't published in Britain. I didn't enjoy reading it, but it was worthwhile to read in terms of getting a more complete picture of the late 20th century Royal Household and its social dynamics. If you're interested in the subject, do not let this be your only read.

Take everything with a grain of salt. There's some pretty egregious homophobia and general commentary about other people that is uncouth, to put it lightly.

[Mac Daly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malcom Barker was on the Buckingham Palace executive staff in the '90s and has written an account of his time there. It's advertised as "hilarious" but more often it's disturbing. According to his account no one on staff liked each other, all the footmen were rowdy, the staff incompetent at best and criminal at worst. The chef was a slovenly drunk and his closest co-worker an unrepentant liar, thief and exhibitionist. The women in the book fare the worst. They were all either stuck-up, frumpy or desperate and he recounts tales of harassment, abuse and even a possible assault with the same disinterest as when reporting what was served at a royal dinner. He talks quite a bit about what the Queen thought, but never gives any proof that he ever had a conversation with her that didn't involve business. The notes at the end say that Barker wrote the book in the hopes that changes would be made, but he never show any sign that he tried to make things better or even cared what was happening.

There are some interesting tidbits if you read between the lines. He writes about Prince (now King) Charles' early efforts to make the palace more environmentally friendly by putting in place a recycling program.

If you decide to read this one, take things with a grain of salt.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pure drivel

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Buckingham Palace Official blows the whistle on what goes on behind the facade of the Royal Palaces.

Interesting stuff, some of it almost unbelievable and one wonders exactly how much is a flight of fancy, or wishful thinking as to what could have happened.

If many of the salacious stories are true, the Royal Family must have surely tightened things up on the book's publication!

[Kharah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read this because it was banned by the British government. Probably would have been more shocking if I'd read it 15 years earlier...