Feb. 22, 2026

“Downfall” Around the World: Andrew Arrest Photo Dominated Front Pages as Global Media Called It a Royal Earthquake

“Downfall” Around the World: Andrew Arrest Photo Dominated Front Pages as Global Media Called It a Royal Earthquake
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The morning after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, British newspapers delivered a near-unified message: this is historic, humiliating, and impossible to spin away. Almost every front page led with the same defining image — Andrew appearing shellshocked in the back of a car — paired with variations on the King’s stark line: “the law must take its course.” From broadsheets to tabloids, the tone was consistent: unprecedented in modern royal history.

The story also detonated internationally, with major outlets across Europe describing a “royal shock,” a “prince of darkness,” and a crisis being framed as the biggest earthquake for the monarchy in decades. Royal historian Ed Owens warns that the monarchy’s biggest problem may be the “unknowables” still buried in this situation — unresolved questions that will keep the story alive and could pose major risks if anything suggests institutional protection.

We also examine the secondary stories now spilling into view: reports that Andrew had been contemplating a move overseas before the arrest; claims about how staff allegedly facilitated private visitors; fresh scrutiny of Sarah Ferguson’s emotional strain; and Marina Hyde’s argument that the Palace’s posture has long looked less like transparency and more like reputation management. With the investigation continuing, the global press now seems to agree on one point: this photograph is not just an image — it’s a symbol, and it may define the crisis for years.

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A Calarougus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.

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I am your host, my aunt Francis. The arrest of

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Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has dominated the British front pages, with

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a single image of the former prince appearing shell shocked

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in the back seat of a car splashed across nearly

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every newspaper. The Guardian led with King says law must

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take its course after andrew arrest, a longley now widely

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circulated photograph of Andrew leaving the police station. The Times

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opted for the stark headline the Arrest of Andrew. The

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Sun ran with now his Sweating, referencing Andrew's twenty nineteen

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BBC Newsnight interview in which he claimed he was unable

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to swept due to a medical condition. The paper noted

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that he is the first royal to be held since

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Charles the First in sixteen forty seven. The Daily Express

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echoed the King's words with the law must take its course,

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violating that Andrew was arrested on his sixty sixth birthday.

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The Daily Star took a more irreverent approach, with Taxi

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for Andy, again using the same image of him in

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the back of the vehicle. The eyepaper featured King my

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brother must face the law, pointing to King Charles's personal

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statement as his assertion that he had no advance warning

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of the arrest. The Daily Mail used a single word headline, Downfall,

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writing that Andrew appeared haggard, shamed and haunted after his

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release from custody. Eleven hours after his arrest, The National

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led with a photograph of the late Queen alongside then

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Prince Charles and Andrew under their headline what did they know?

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Scotland's Daily Record declared, we can see you sneaking out.

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The Daily Telegraph kept it simple. Andrew arrested. Across the

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political and tabloid spectrum, the tone was consistent. The arrest

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marks an unprecedented moment in modern royal history, with the

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image of Andrew leaving custody already cemented as the defining

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photograph of the crisis. The story it was also worldwide news.

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In Germany, Bill described the arrest as a royal shock

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and called him of fallen Prince. Report of Mary Sophie

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Crown wrote, his face spoke volumes, his eyes were fixed

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wide with shock. De Velt declared on its front page

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ex Prince at rock Bottom to a Turkish Spiegel noted

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that because of his involvement in the Epstein scandal, Andrew

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had already lost all honors, military ranks and titles. He

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had to step down from all royal duties in twenty

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nineteen and October King Charles stripped him of his princely title,

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and last week he had to vacate his royal lodge

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estate in Windsor. In France, the Parisian chose the headline

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Andrew Prince of Darkness. Le Figaro carried the headline Epstein

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Affair The descent into the inner sanctum of ex Prince Andrew.

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In Spain, el Pay said the king sought to distance

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himself from his brother with a statement that the law

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must take its course, describing the arrest as an earthquake

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on its way to becoming the British royal family's biggest

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christ La Vanguardia described it as the biggest earthquake in

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the modern history of the British monarchy, comparable only to

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the application of Edward the Eighth in nineteen thirty six

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and the death of Princess Diana in nineteen ninety seven.

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In Italy, the Republica highlighted King Charles words, let justice

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take its course. Las Stampa ran the headline Sex and Secrets,

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The End of Andrew. Il Messagero wrote, Andrew arrested, Charles dumpsion.

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Vittorio Sabadin added it is the Windsor's darkest hour and

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getting out of it won't be easy. Royal historian Ed

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Owens has warned that the arrest of Andrew presents a

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uniquely difficult challenge for the monarchy. The problem the monarchy

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have here is the various unknowables within the situation that

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will continue to stimulate media and public interest. He said.

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Those unknowables are the sort of unexploded minds that could

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potentially pose huge problems to the institution. Mister Owens added

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that unlike previous royal crises, there is no established model

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for how to respond. After the day of Diana, Princess

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of Wales, there were clear formalities to arrange, including a

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state funeral. Even after the adducation of King Edward the

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Eighth in nineteen thirty six, his brother was prepared to

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assume the throne, but there is no blueprint for the

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arrest of a close relative of the reigning monarch, particularly

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one who until recently held a senior royal role and

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who could potentially face criminal charges. Experts say that if

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further information were to emerge suggesting the family had protected

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mount Batten Windsor, it could prove deeply damaging more pounds

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in just a moment. The shocking arrest of Andrew has

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led to several stories in the news getting overshadowed. Prior

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to his arrest, Andrew was reportedly considering a move to

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the Middle East as he looked to rebuild his life

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away from Britain. Sources cited by Radar Online claimed that

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Andrew Mountbatten Windsor believed he could find a more sympathetic

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environment among expatriate communities overseas, and is even contemplating re

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entering the dating scene. One insider a Andrew's got this

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idea that he'll be welcomed into this community of expats

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over there and embrace like it's the good old days.

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He's even talking about how he wants to get back

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to dating. The royals will be relieved to see him go,

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but they'll also be worrying about what he might get

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up to once. He's often operating completely on his own terms.

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Radar Online had reported that intermediaries have been sent to

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explore potential properties in the UAE as part of Andrew's

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possible relocation. According to the same insider, he's convinced a

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life in the Middle East would suit him. He says

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he can have a fresh start there because it's much

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more old school. He's convinced people won't constantly judge him.

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He genuinely thinks he can still cash in on his

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former status. The report also claims Andrew has resisted suggestions

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that he quietly relocate within the UK, describing such a

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move as humiliating. The insiders said Andrew has absolutely no

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intention of settling quietly into Sandringham. He sees it as

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humiliating and beneath him. He says, if Charles and William

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think they can park him in some falling down dumb

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and pretend that he no longer exists, they have another

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thing coming in the current news cycle. We'll see if

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any of that remains true. According to the son, Andrew

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allegedly would use the phrase missus Windsor will arrive shortly,

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please let her in and show her up as a

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signal to staff that a female visitor was to be

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admitted and escorted to his private rooms without further questioning.

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A former staff member told the newspaper it was common

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knowledge that Andrew liked to have young women visit Buckingham Palace.

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This was always via one of the out of sight

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staff entrances. The source added, it was so frequent that

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they used to just roll their eyes and say yes, sir.

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It went on for years. The Royal protection officers hated

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being assigned Andrew as he was so unpleasant and dismissive.

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Another individual was quoted as saying few details, if any,

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were taken because of his status within the royal household.

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It was regularly discussed by courtiers, but nothing was ever

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done to challenge it. Earlier in the week, prior to

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her ex husband's arrest, friends of Sarah Ferguson had said

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the continuing fallout from the Epstein scandal has taken a

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significant emotional toll on the former Duchess of York. According

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to sources speaking to Radar Online, Ferguson has struggled to

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adapt to her changed circumstances and has privately described the

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loss of titles and royal accommodation as terrible for her.

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Mental health. One source close to her said Sarah is

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emotionally stretched to a breaking point. Those around her say

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she becomes overwhelmed several times a day, often breaking down

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in tears out of nowhere, and there was a real

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sense of uncertainty about what her life will look like next.

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In The Guardian, Marina hind had suggested some pr advice

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for the Andrew stricken Royals. Try something that looks less

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like a twelve million dollar cover up. The idea that

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this bunch would fork over reported twelve million dollars plus

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seven figures of Andrew's legal costs without some fairly frank

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family discussions as just bollocks. Yet they clung to their

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public silence. They shielded him from what less immortals would

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know as the consequences of their alleged actions. This is

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proving to be extremely consequential for them. Whose were the millions?

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The King is letting it be known by a courtiers

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that he didn't chip in, with the money coming mostly

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from the Late Queen and the estate of the Duke

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of Edinburgh. It is often assumed the late Queen paid

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from her secretive private funds, but others suggest it came

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from the Duchy of Lancaster, the earnings of which are

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public money. The general approach of the monarchy and the establishment,

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or whatever you want to call it, has always been

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to imply that no one knows whether Andrew, who had

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twenty four hour top level protection, was where he said

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he was at any given time. The trouble comes when

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the two faced game is perceived by the public to

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have spread to those at the top of the institution,

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who certainly have no part in alleged crimes, but have

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not dispelled the increasingly noxious impression of the institution having

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been adjacent to a cover up. Statements indicate that senior

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royals are still playing this dangerous game of publicly really

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really wanting to help while not revealing anything useful of substance.

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No doubt they think this is the only game they

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can play. They are not brilliant strategists. The royal family

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is somewhat famously not a meritocracy. They eventually worked out

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that doing nothing was not an option. I wonder how

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soon they'll clock that doing a bit less than nothing

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isn't either. And there you have it. I'd like to

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John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue and good terms