Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Andrew Lownie has written other royal biographies, like Traitor King, which also challenge official narratives. If you’ve read his other work, how did Entitled compare? If not, how did Lownie’s investigative approach, including his own struggles to get information, shape your experience of reading this story?

2. What was the single most shocking or surprising revelation for you in the book? Was it a specific event, a character detail, or a glimpse into the inner workings of the monarchy?

3. Before reading this biography, what was your general impression of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson? How has reading Entitled altered, reinforced, or complicated your views on them and on the modern British monarchy as an institution?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Prince Andrew’s sense of entitlement is traced back to a childhood where he was rarely held accountable for his actions. Thinking about your own childhood, can you identify formative experiences that shaped your character and later choices?

2. Sarah Ferguson is portrayed as having a deep-seated need for approval and validation, which contributed to some of her poor decisions. Have you ever felt a similar conflict between a desire to please others and the need to follow your own judgment?

3. The book details a pattern of blurring the lines between professional duties and personal gain. What are some of the ethical “gray areas” you’ve had to navigate in your professional life, and what does this story teach us about the importance of clear boundaries?

4. What did you make of Queen Elizabeth II’s complex role in this saga? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to balance personal loyalty to someone with a wider responsibility to a group, family, or institution?

5. The biography highlights how public perception, shaped by the media, can drastically impact a person’s life. Think about a time when your own opinion of a public figure was significantly changed by a specific media story. How did it affect your view of that person?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Lownie describes a powerful “Establishment cover-up” (2) culture that protected Prince Andrew for decades. Where do you see similar dynamics of powerful institutions shielding their own from accountability in society today, whether in politics, corporations, or other organizations?

2. How has the evolution of media, from the tabloid press of the 1990s to today’s world of social media and citizen journalism, changed the dynamic between public figures and accountability? Do you think a scandal like this would play out differently now?

3. What does the story of Jeffrey Epstein’s transnational network of powerful associates suggest about how wealth and influence can operate outside the bounds of national laws and conventional morality?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The central theme of Royal Status as a Shield from Accountability runs through the entire narrative. How does Lownie use the parallel yet distinct downfalls of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to explore different aspects of this theme?

2. Lownie opens by discussing the “curated narrative” he intends to dismantle. What specific biographical techniques did you find most effective in challenging the official version of events?

3. The motif of teddy bears appears multiple times in connection with Prince Andrew. How did this recurring detail shape your understanding of his character and his inability to grasp the consequences of his actions?

4. What is the significance of the Sunninghill Park residence in the narrative? How does the house’s role in the Yorks’ lives mirror their moral and public decline?

5. How does the author construct the character of Queen Elizabeth II? Do you see her portrayal as primarily that of a doting mother, a complicit enabler, or the pragmatic head of an institution focused on its own survival?

6. Entitled reads in many ways like a true-crime narrative, meticulously assembling evidence and witness testimony. How does this structure compare to other investigative stories you might have read or watched, such as Bad Blood by John Carreyou or the documentary TV series The Jinx? What does this narrative choice suggest about Lownie’s ultimate argument?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you’re a public relations expert tasked with advising a high-profile figure facing a major scandal. Drawing lessons from Prince Andrew’s catastrophic Newsnight interview, what would be your three most important pieces of advice?

2. If you were adapting Entitled into a prestige television series, which scene or sequence of events would you choose for the opening episode to hook the audience? Would you start with the fairy-tale wedding, the Newsnight interview, or something else entirely?