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The royal family made it to February before 2026 became yet another year in which it was confronted with a major crisis. The arrest of the king’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on suspicion of misconduct in public office has arguably tarnished the royal brand further, even though he denies any wrongdoing and no charges have so far been brought. Indeed branding expert and professor of marketing Pauline Maclaran argues the royal image is facing one of its biggest tests of the modern age.
And yet while some have been quick to suggest this could lead to the end of the monarchy, Maclaran believes there are signs the royals may have made the right moves to allow them to recover. She explains they appear to have already acted to protect themselves against the risk of social contagion, when public disapproval begins to snowball. Perhaps it’s time for a rebrand, but imagine if the king came out of this looking stronger than ever.
Being middle class doesn’t look like it used to for many people in Britain. The skyrocketing of house prices, the greater competition for well-paying graduate jobs and the introduction of high-interest student loans is making many young professionals feel more financially insecure than they might have in the past. Hence the rise of terms like “Dink” and “Henry” to describe them. Economist Renaud Foucart explains what these nicknames mean and why they signify a
significant change in social mobility.
The Somerset Levels can be the epitome of English rural tranquility. They’re also often completely flooded. In fact it’s only in the last few hundred years that people have been able to live on the Levels all year round thanks to regular pumping and dredging of the channels that criss-cross over the landscape. But the increasing frequency of flooding due to climate change means they may no longer be enough to keep the area habitable for humans.
Another sign of the changing climate? Early crocuses, which you may have already seen poking their way through the soil. This disruption of typical seasonal behaviour will have knock-on effects.
If you haven’t already, please take some time to enjoy the latest episode of our fantastic new video podcast series, Strange Health. This week we learn all about the microscopic mites that make homes (and babies) in the pores of our skin, including on our face. As usual, not one for the squeamish but utterly fascinating and entertaining.
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