Witchell will carry on as royal reporter

By Caitlin Pike

The BBC’s Nicholas Witchell will continue reporting on the royal
family, despite Prince Charles’ blunt revelation last week that he
can’t bear him.

The Prince was caught out by a sensitive microphone at his annual
skiing photocall that recorded him referring to journalists as “bloody
people” and saying of Witchell: “I can’t bear that man. I mean, he’s so
awful, he really is.”

The Prince uttered the aside under his
breath after Witchell asked him how he felt about his wedding, which
was then eight days away.

Witchell told Press Gazette he would
rather not discuss the incident but he did not appear fazed by the
Prince’s blunt remarks as he broadcast on 31 March from Monbiel, near
Klosters, at the start of the Prince’s skiing holiday.

The BBC
said Clarence House had invited Witchell to the photocall, adding:
“He’s been our royal correspondent for seven years, has worked for the
BBC for nearly 30 years and is one of our finest. His question was
perfectly reasonable under the circumstances.” The BBC said there was
no question of him moving to another area of reporting.

Jennie
Bond, former BBC royal correspondent, also came out fighting for
Witchell in an article in The Daily Telegraph: “Prince Charles and his
sons will have to accept that ‘bloody people’ like Witchell and the rest of the pack have an important job to do.”