Diana Inc.: New Book, New Netflix Film, and a King Bracing for Impact Thirty years on, Princess Diana remains the family’s most reliable income stream, and nobody in Buckingham Palace can figure out how to unionise against it There is a very specific look that crosses a monarch’s face when he learns a member of his own former in-law network is publishing a memoir called Swan Song, and it is not…
Government Owns 49% of NATS, Uses Remaining 51% as Excuse Not to Fire Anyone Martin Rolfe gets one week to investigate his own organisation as Britain’s golden share continues its distinguished career as office décor LONDON — Britain responded to another national air-traffic-control collapse with the calm efficiency for which it is famous: more than 2,000 flights were cancelled, hundreds of thousands of passengers were disrupted, and the man running…
Prince William Reportedly Fuming as Harry Violates Ancient Royal Rule Against Helping People Without Permission Palace moves to protect Britain’s centuries-old royal monopoly on charity after discovering former working prince continues working Reports that Prince William is “fuming” because Prince Harry appears to be behaving too much like a working royal have exposed one of Britain’s least understood constitutional principles: once you leave official royal service, you may continue being…
America’s Perfect Chinese-American Candidate for 2028: A Very British Guide to the Yanks’ Latest Constitutional Loophole Every four years our American cousins promise the electorate a candidate who is “finally different,” and every four years he turns out to be exactly the same fellow with a new haircut and a fresh grievance. This cycle, however, Washington has genuinely surpassed itself, and it falls to us here at The London Prat…
Britain Discovers Oil Under the North Sea, Immediately Launches Twelve-Year Consultation About Feeling Guilty Britain has once again remembered that it is, in fact, sitting on top of one of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world, and has responded in the only way it knows how: with a flurry of letters, a very earnest cross-industry coalition, and a new Prime Minister who has been in the job…
England Loses Semi-Final, Parliament Immediately Opens Inquiry Into the Rules of Football MPs Demand Answers From a Sport That Has Existed, Unchanged, Since 1863 Following England’s exit from the semi-final on penalties — a phrase now legally required by tradition to appear in every national headline — Parliament has convened an emergency inquiry into the laws of football itself, on the grounds that a game England did not invent the…
London Dating Scene Announces Every First Date Now Requires Character References Hinge’s New “Friend’s Take” Feature Arrives in Britain, Promptly Mistaken for a Parliamentary Vetting Committee LONDON. Britain’s dating scene has welcomed Hinge’s new “Friend’s Take” feature, allowing friends to add testimonials to dating profiles, because apparently uploading six carefully curated photographs of yourself holding a cocktail wasn’t evidence enough of basic humanity. London Singles Immediately Form Advisory Panels London singles immediately…
Home Office Assures Public Everything Is Under Control, Immediately Opens Three More Reviews Department Confirms Confidence, Launches Immediate Investigation Into Own Confidence The Home Office has issued a statement assuring the public that the current situation is “fully under control,” a phrase that, under long-standing Whitehall tradition, is legally required to be followed within the hour by the announcement of at least three new reviews, two working groups, and one…
Londoners Abandon Yoga After Discovering Inner Peace Can Be Found Face-Down Mudlarking in Thames Mud Capital’s Hottest Mudlarking Combines Archaeology, Bureaucracy, Social Media Rivalry and the Possibility of Rat-Borne Disease LONDON, ENGLAND — Londoners searching for spiritual tranquillity, historical connection and something unusual to post before lunch have embraced mudlarking, the ancient practice of kneeling beside the Thames and examining objects that everybody else has spent two thousand years trying to lose. According…
Home Office Interrogates Newborn Royal Over Suspected Loyalty to Portuguese Sunshine Leaked Transcript Reveals Infant Repeatedly Refused to Confirm Allegiance to Rain, Queuing or the Shipping Forecast Officials say baby noises were translated using a certified infant-linguistics contractor and a great deal of professional guesswork. LONDON — The Home Office has confirmed that Princess Eugenie’s newborn daughter underwent a standard citizenship-loyalty interview within 48 hours of her birth in Lisbon,…
Algarve Expats Form Royal Support Group, Declare Newborn Princess “One of Us” British Retirees and Digital Nomads Across Portugal Claim Solidarity With Royal Baby, Citing Shared Struggles With Sunburn and NHS Withdrawal Group’s founding charter reportedly includes a clubhouse rule that no member may discuss British weather without first apologizing for bringing it up. LAGOS, PORTUGAL — Within hours of Princess Eugenie’s daughter being born in Lisbon, members of Portugal’s…
Harry and Meghan Reportedly Planning Secret Divorce, Immediately Hire Netflix Crew to Keep It Confidential Confidential separation to be filmed before a live studio audience prohibited from discussing it until the trailer drops LONDON, ENGLAND — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly considering a “secret divorce,” according to an unnamed source whose remarkable commitment to privacy required speaking to a celebrity magazine and ensuring the claim was distributed throughout…
Sarah Ferguson Eyes “Most Incredible Comeback Yet,” Frank Sinatra’s Estate Demands Royalty Payments Former duchess reportedly considers returning to Britain, repairing relations with King Charles and telling “her side” after discovering public silence cannot be monetised LONDON, ENGLAND — Sarah Ferguson is reportedly considering what one royal commentator has called her “most incredible” comeback yet, potentially involving a return to Britain, an attempt to rebuild relations with King Charles and…
EU Fines Google €890 Million, Then Googles What That Is In Normal Money Brussels discovers the only reliable way to regulate Google is to search Google for instructions. BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — The European Commission has fined Google €890 million for two breaches of the Digital Markets Act, then reportedly typed “€890 million in normal money” into Google Search before pasting the result straight into its own press release. The penalty breaks down into €460…
MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA Meghan Reminds Prince Harry Financial Independence Traditionally Involves Making Money Duchess reportedly urges husband to stop treating paid employment as an embarrassing American custom A Yahoo Entertainment report about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry claims the Duchess of Sussex has become frustrated with her husband’s allegedly “snobbish” attitude toward Hollywood, believing he is allowing profitable opportunities to gallop past the mansion without even asking whether they offer dental insurance. The…
Prince William Offers Harry Reconciliation, Provided He Signs the Magna Carta of Family Group Chats Public apology, legally binding silence and restrictions on imitation royal tours reportedly form the Prince of Wales’s exciting new “Brotherhood Premium” package William’s Three Conditions for Reconciliation LONDON | A report circulating on Yahoo claims Prince William has established three conditions for reconciliation with Prince Harry: a public apology from Harry and Meghan, a legally binding agreement…
Henry VIII Returns to Britain, Immediately Booked for Open Mic Night by Desperate Comedy Promoter An eyewitness account, dictated personally by His Majesty King Henry VIII, transcribed under protest by a nervous stenographer who kept asking if this was “a bit.” I woke up on my own grave at Windsor, which I will admit is not how I pictured my triumphant return to England. I had assumed trumpets. I had…
Henry VIII Finally Finds a Proper London Pub Former King Declares Britain May Have Lost an Empire, Six Colonies, and the Ability to Build Railways on Time, But Thank Heaven It Never Misplaced the Local History Takes a Tea Break in a London Boozer LONDON — History took a brief tea break yesterday after Henry VIII reportedly wandered into a traditional London pub, ordered a pint without downloading an app, and…
The Smaller Dog May Bark: Trump Explains the Special Relationship Using Furniture Bohiney.com — World Desk President Trump has once again reduced 250 years of transatlantic diplomacy to something you’d hear at a dog park, informing new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham that “the smaller dog may bark, but the larger dog controls the sofa.” Foreign policy analysts immediately began arguing about whether this counts as a threat, a compliment,…
Five Officers Injured During High-Speed Pursuit of Stationary London Landmark Westminster Bridge Escapes After Remaining Exactly Where Authorities Last Saw It LONDON, England — A Metropolitan Police river patrol ended dramatically after five officers were injured during what authorities have described as an unsuccessful attempt to overtake Westminster Bridge. The police vessel struck the central London landmark, throwing officers into the River Thames. Emergency services attended, and the injured officers were…
Prime Minister Promises Tough Words for Trump Following Full Impact Assessment of Tough Words Britain Will Issue Strong Statement Once Treasury Calculates Effect on Exports, Sterling and Canapé Supply LONDON, England — Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised to use tough words against President Donald Trump whenever necessary, but only after Whitehall completes a comprehensive assessment of whether each adjective could affect trade, defence contracts or the availability of miniature sausage…
Burnham Vows to Stand Up to Trump Whenever Britain’s Trade Agreement Permits Sitting Down Prime Minister Promises Independence Within the Approved Bilateral Seating Arrangement LONDON, England — Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to challenge US President Donald Trump whenever Britain’s national interest requires it, provided the confrontation does not disrupt trade negotiations, defence cooperation, intelligence sharing or the special relationship’s scheduled afternoon tea. Burnham said national leaders must defend their…
Britain Issues Emergency Heat Alert After Thermometer Reaches Temperature Known Elsewhere as Tuesday Nation Responds to 30°C by Removing Shirts, Purchasing Fans and Forgetting Vulnerable Neighbours LONDON, England — Health authorities issued yellow heat-health alerts across several English regions after temperatures threatened to reach 30°C, a reading that caused Britain to activate emergency procedures normally reserved for invasion, royal funerals and supermarket shortages of ice lollies. Officials warned that prolonged heat…
London Firms Replace CVs and Dating Profiles With Weekly Mounjaro Injection Receipts New Research Suggests Weight Loss Improves Women’s Chances of Finding Work and Partners, Prompting Britain to Put Boots in Charge of Social Mobility A new economic study suggests women who lose weight using GLP-1 medications become substantially more likely to find employment or enter a relationship, confirming that modern society can recognise a woman’s intelligence, personality and professional…
Trump Persuaded to Buy Half of Manchester, but Burnham Will Keep the Soccer Clubs New Prime Minister Offers US President City-Centre Property, Two Tram Lines and Complimentary Access to the Northern Powerhouse Brochure By Lowri Griffiths | Manchester Here’s the satire, with Manchester treated as a distressed luxury asset and its football clubs hidden beneath a constitutional tea towel. ⚽🏗️🇺🇸 Burnham Persuades Trump to Purchase Half of Manchester MANCHESTER, ENGLAND…
Andy Burnham Unveils Bold Plan to Make Britain Look Like a 1974 Bus Station Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, fresh off his triumphant thirty-six-year campaign to make buses public again, has now set his sights on water, and possibly the very concept of the weekend. Supporters call it bold. Critics call it a déjà-brew — the unmistakable sensation of having tasted this particular tea before, in 1974, and remembering it went lukewarm. The…
Britain Reforms Pensions by Moving Retirement Somewhere Beyond the Natural Lifespan Government promises bigger pension pots, better investment and a state pension available shortly after workers complete their final archaeological layer LONDON — Britain has begun another historic programme of pension reform after ministers discovered that retirement costs money, old people remain stubbornly alive and the national economy cannot be financed indefinitely by selling one another increasingly expensive two-bedroom flats.…
Celtexit: Britain Planned Its Breakup Before Anyone Even Voted The constitutional panic is magnificent: Reform has not won the next election, yet several politicians are already measuring Britain for four separate removal vans. Officials have not agreed on a single policy for the imaginary government they are furious about, but they have already agreed on a name for the imaginary divorce: Celtexit. It is Brexit’s damper, sadder cousin, conceived not in…
How Britain’s Economic Decline Left It as Poor as Mississippi Britain combined European socialism, American debt, record immigration and Victorian infrastructure, then expressed surprise when GDP per person disappeared behind a wheelie bin. Britain has finally achieved the economic equality politicians promised. Unfortunately, the equality is with Mississippi. According to The Atlantic’s examination of Britain’s productivity collapse, British output per person now sits barely above that of America’s poorest state after nearly…
Guardian CEO Pay Hits £5 Million, and Somehow That’s Everyone Else’s Fault By Freja Lindholm | London The Guardian has confirmed that their corporate bosses now earn 130 times the salary of the average worker, a statistic so alarming that Guardian executives reportedly required a full afternoon, a chauffeured car and a modest £5.06 million to properly recover from it. According to the newspaper’s own investigation, the median pay package for…
