Skeptic Society Magazine

Tag: Armstrong

  • Jesse Armstrong reveals what new movie Mountainhead has in common with Succession

    Jesse Armstrong reveals what new movie Mountainhead has in common with Succession

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    Off the menu for the Silicon Valley titans – Randall (Steve Carell), Venis (Cory Michael Smith) and Jeff (Ramy Youssef) – is work chat, or anything else that might distract from the fun and games. Or as these back-slapping besties put it: “No deals, no meals, no high heels.”

    But as it turns out, what’s very much on the menu is panic in the markets, ethnic violence, societal collapse and talk of global coups – all of which are the calamitous, rapid-fire results of Venis launching a not-fully-thought-through upgrade to his social media platform, Traam.

    Welcome to Mountainhead, the blackly humorous and incredibly alarming film from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong. The 54-year-old British writer’s first feature-length drama – and his directorial debut – is a scathing satire on what happens when the American “broligarchy” is allowed to run riot: things quickly get murky, not to mention Musk-y.

    From the outset, there are obvious parallels with how Donald Trump and his chainsaw-wielding former DOGE wingman Elon Musk, aided by a compliant, fact-checker-removing Mark Zuckerberg, have weaponised social media for their own ends.

    “You could extrapolate easily from Trump and Musk, no doubt,” agrees south London-based Armstrong. But, he adds, “it’s not a direct comment on that. The [digital] tools that I posit in the film don’t exist. It’s a fictional manifestation of a feeling we have that social media – and the content that gets onto it – is uncontrollable, minute by minute. This is a nightmare extension of where we are, of the hostilities and divisiveness you get from those really reflexive platforms that snowball emotion and reaction so viscerally and quickly.”

    Jesse Armstrong

    Jesse Armstrong. Lia Toby/Getty Images for BFI

    Indeed. These tech-capitalist overlords make Succession’s Logan Roy (who bore an uncanny resemblance to media mogul Rupert Murdoch) look like a pussycat. As Venis’s Traam platform rolls out new features offering the ability to create, among other things, “unfalsifiable deep fakes” and made-up news footage that stoke violence and financial meltdown, the four come together to fiddle while the planet burns. What’s a nation-state takeover between friends? As Venis, spouting the deliciously pumped-up dialogue familiar from Succession, puts it: “What I wonder is… do we just get upstream, leverage our hardware, software, data, scale this up, and coup out the US?”

    This is a room full of white men – the lack of diversity representative, Armstrong points out, of the reality of who runs these companies – high on power, ego and money. How dangerous are they? “I guess if you were being positive, as they normally are, they’d say there are incredible opportunities!” replies Armstrong, laughing, as he video-calls from an edit suite in central London, where he’s racing to meet his crushing, self-imposed deadline to complete his film. “But those incredible opportunities mean that the possibility seems to have grown exponentially of the world being manipulated into different new shapes by quite a small number of people.”

    Mirroring the speed with which events spiral in Mountainhead is the momentum baked into the film’s DNA. Armstrong had the idea little more than six months ago, in the heat of the American presidential campaign. With Succession having ended its award-winning, four-series run two years ago, he’d been “cooking on” a couple of ideas for new shows.

    But while writing a review for The Times Literary Supplement of Going Infinite, the biography of jailed crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried by financial journalist Michael Lewis, “I just started reading more tech stuff and listening to more podcasts. The voices of what we still call Silicon Valley, the tech world, got lodged. This shape of a story occurred to me.” He admits he “wanted it to go away so I could concentrate on other projects, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

    Jason Schwartzman in Mountainhead, sat at a poker table

    Jason Schwartzman as Hugo van Yalk in Mountainhead. HBO

    Eventually he contacted Casey Bloys, the CEO of HBO for whom he produced Succession: “I think there could be a one-off in this. What do you think?” Bloys gave the thumbs-up. Armstrong then huddled with his “close collaborators” from Succession, including fellow Brit screenwriters Tony Roche and Lucy Prebble, and asked: “Do you think this could be a thing that I could do really quickly?” His friends were equally enthused. Or, as he frames it: “They gave me enough rope to hang myself by saying yes.”

    So, having pitched it in December, Armstrong wrote a draft in ten days in January; spent February in rewrites and pre-production; shot for 22 days in March in the mountains outside Park City, Utah; and edited across April and early May, so that the film came out on 1 June.

    That superfast turnaround was both practical and conceptual. First, it was the result of being “a little bit scared of directing. But also, quite liking the feeling of: ‘Oh well, I’ve just got to run into it and see what happens.’ But also, it’s got this queasy, looking-through-the-wrong-end-of-the telescope relationship to reality because none of the stuff in the film has happened. The president isn’t Trump; these people aren’t Musk or Zuckerberg or [AI pioneer] Sam Altman or Sam Bankman-Fried – but I think you’ll feel when you watch it that they’re all in the mix. Hopefully, you’ll be able to watch it next year and it’ll still be funny and interesting. But it feels like a now story.”

    It’s also a story bristling with finely tooled tech-speak and bro jargon. This is a rapacious world where to call someone a “decel” – a growth-blocking “decelerationist” – is a bigger slur than incel. But Armstrong is keen that viewers won’t be blinded by the science.

    “I hope it’s like Succession, where not everyone understood the weightings of shares and different holding companies. You should be able to follow this movie on the emotional level of the relationships between the four guys. And that you might give a pass to the ‘hyper-scale data centres’ and all that stuff that they get into! You should enjoy it on that level. That’s my task as a writer, and director this time: that you follow the story, even if you don’t know the finer details of AI development.”

    Not to overload Armstrong’s personal hyper-scale data centre, but, what’s next? With the news that his old Peep Show pals David Mitchell and Robert Webb are making another sketch show for Channel 4, is there a chance he’ll return to lighter fare? For, if nothing else, a breather?

    “Maybe,” he replies with a smile. “The only thing I would say is, there’s nothing harder as a writer than half-hour sitcoms. It’s the most condensed form of writing for TV that you can do. It might be nice not to think about the end of the world via right-wing politics, but day-to-day going to your desk, writing 30 Rock is probably harder than being Samuel Beckett – in my estimation. So, I’m not running back to sitcom. But, yeah, occasionally I’d like to write a silly sketch.”

    The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.

    Radio Times cover with Lee Mack sipping a drink on it

    Mountainhead is available to watch on Sky and NOW.

    Add Mountainhead to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

    Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

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  • The Cleanest Recordings of 1920s Louis Armstrong Songs You Will Ever Hear

    The Cleanest Recordings of 1920s Louis Armstrong Songs You Will Ever Hear

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    On Youtube, jazz enthu­si­ast Jonathan Holmes declares: “I can guar­an­tee this is the clean­est sound­ing Louis Arm­strong record you’ll ever hear! With the orig­i­nal trans­fer sup­plied by Nick Del­low, here is the moth­er record which was shipped by Okeh to Ger­many for their Odeon press­ings. The sound is won­der­ful­ly imme­di­ate, and crys­tal clear.” No crack­le and pop. That’s how Holmes describes the pris­tine record­ing you can hear above of the Louis Arm­strong clas­sic, “Ain’t Mis­be­havin’.” Below, hear anoth­er “moth­er met­al” record­ing of anoth­er Arm­strong song, “Knee Drops.” Enjoy the ear­ly Satch­mo in all of its won­der­ful clar­i­ty.

    If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newslet­ter, please find it here. It’s a great way to see our new posts, all bun­dled in one email, each day.

    If you would like to sup­port the mis­sion of Open Cul­ture, con­sid­er mak­ing a dona­tion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your con­tri­bu­tions will help us con­tin­ue pro­vid­ing the best free cul­tur­al and edu­ca­tion­al mate­ri­als to learn­ers every­where. You can con­tribute through Pay­Pal, Patre­on, and Ven­mo (@openculture). Thanks!

    Note: An ear­li­er ver­sion of this post appeared on our site in 2016.

    Relat­ed Con­tent:

    An Aging Louis Arm­strong Sings “What a Won­der­ful World” in 1967, Dur­ing the Viet­nam War & The Civ­il Rights Strug­gle

    1,000 Hours of Ear­ly Jazz Record­ings Now Online: Archive Fea­tures Louis Arm­strong, Duke Elling­ton & Much More

    Watch the Ear­li­est Known Footage of Louis Arm­strong Per­form­ing Live in Con­cert (Copen­hagen, 1933)

    Louis Arm­strong Remem­bers How He Sur­vived the 1918 Flu Epi­dem­ic in New Orleans



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  • Coinbase Says S.E.C. Will Drop Crypto Lawsuit

    Coinbase Says S.E.C. Will Drop Crypto Lawsuit

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    The cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase said on Friday that the Securities and Exchange Commission had agreed to drop its lawsuit against the company, lifting a legal cloud over the global crypto industry and signaling a broader retreat by federal regulators.

    Coinbase, in a post on its website and in a regulatory filing, said it had reached an agreement in principle with the S.E.C. to have the lawsuit withdrawn without any financial penalty. If the S.E.C. confirms the proposed settlement, it would be a remarkable reversal by the agency after years of legal battles against crypto firms.

    The S.E.C. sued Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto company, in 2023 on the grounds that the digital currencies sold on its platform constituted unregistered securities that put consumers at risk of financial harm.

    Any settlement that results in a dismissal of the lawsuit would require S.E.C. approval. A spokesperson for the S.E.C. declined to comment on Coinbase’s announcement.

    The lawsuit was the most significant of several that the S.E.C. had filed against major crypto companies, arguing that they were operating outside the law. A victory for the government could have threatened the continued operation of Coinbase, a publicly traded company worth about $65 billion, and decimated the broader crypto market.

    The dismissal would be biggest victory for the crypto industry since President Trump took office last month, promising to end the Biden administration’s regulatory crackdown on crypto under the previous S.E.C. chair, Gary Gensler. And it illustrates the growing influence in Washington of billionaire technology executives, who wrote enormous checks to support Mr. Trump’s campaign, hoping to secure softer regulation.

    Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s chief legal officer, said in an interview that the agreement was a complete surrender by the S.E.C. — Coinbase would not have to admit to any wrongdoing or pay a fine. The agency agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice, he said, meaning that the lawsuit can’t be brought again.

    “The resolution is nothing short of a complete win,” Mr. Grewal said. “The case goes away as if it had never been filed.”

    He discussed the proposed resolution in a blog post entitled: “Righting a major wrong,” in which he called the lawsuit an “unlawful enforcement” action.

    Shares of Coinbase rose about 3 percent in early trading on Friday.

    Dennis Kelleher, chief executive of Better Markets, a nonprofit that pushes for more transparency on Wall Street, said the S.E.C.’s apparent “unilateral surrender” would undermine trust in the commission’s ability to regulate markets and protect investors.

    “The S.E.C. used to enforce the law without fear or favor but is now favoring the crypto industry and fearing billionaire crypto kingpins who are publicly belittling the agency,” Mr. Kelleher said.

    Coinbase operates as a marketplace for cryptocurrencies — a platform where investors can easily covert dollars into digital assets like Bitcoin or Ether. Every time a sales goes through, the company collects a fee.

    Coinbase went public in 2021, a landmark for the crypto industry in the United States. Its founder and chief executive, Brian Armstrong, instantly became one of the wealthiest tech executives in the country.

    But the next year, the collapse of FTX, one of Coinbase’s top rivals, sent crypto markets into a meltdown. Mr. Gensler accelerated a crackdown on the industry that he had started when he took over the agency in 2021.

    His legal argument was simple: Virtually all cryptocurrencies are securities, just like stocks and bonds traded on Wall Street. Anyone offering them should have to register with the S.E.C. and follow strict rules to protect investors. He pointed to a century-old Supreme Court ruling on what constituted an investment contract, arguing that it should govern digital assets.

    As the top vendor for cryptocurrencies in the United States, Coinbase became one of Mr. Gensler’s primary targets. In the 2023 lawsuit, the S.E.C. argued that the company had “elevated its interest in increasing its profits over investors’ interests, and over compliance with the law.”

    Under Mr. Gensler, the agency filed similar suits against other top crypto marketplaces, like Binance and Kraken. (Those suits are still pending.) Crypto executives argued that Mr. Gensler was using enforcement actions and an old playbook to regulate the fast-growing industry. They lobbied for federal legislation that would have given oversight of the industry to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a much smaller and less aggressive regulator than the S.E.C.

    A complex legal battled ensued, with judges in various jurisdictions issuing sometimes conflicting opinions about the legal status of cryptocurrencies. Last year, the judge overseeing the Coinbase case rejected a motion by the company to dismiss the suit, setting the stage for a yearslong legal battle that could have reached the Supreme Court.

    But while crypto firms were fighting the S.E.C. in court, the industry was also mobilizing to reshape the political landscape.

    Crypto executives threw their support behind the candidacy of Mr. Trump, who started his own crypto business last year. Wealthy tech investors like Marc Andreessen, whose venture firm is a major investor in crypto, cited Mr. Trump’s support for digital currencies as a key reason they were backing him.

    The crypto industry also sought to influence Congress: Coinbase was one of the top funders of Fairshake, a crypto super PAC that donated more than $130 million to legislative candidates.

    Since his victory, Mr. Trump has taken a series of steps to advance the industry’s interests. He picked the venture investor David Sacks, a crypto enthusiast, as the White House’s “crypto and A.I. czar.” And he nominated Paul Atkins, a securities lawyer who has consulted for crypto companies, to lead the S.E.C.

    While Mr. Atkins awaits confirmation, Mark T. Uyeda, a Republican S.E.C. commissioner, is leading the agency. This month, the S.E.C. scaled back its crypto enforcement efforts, reassigning lawyers who had worked on a 50-person team dedicated to crypto cases.

    Mr. Grewal, a former federal judge, declined to name the S.E.C. officials who had negotiated the resolution of the case with Coinbase. But he said the deal had the “full support of leadership.” Next week, he said, the agency’s commissioners will vote to approve the deal, a process that he described as a formality.

    “Our ending this case on such stark terms with the S.E.C. surrendering offers a model and template,” Mr. Grewal said. “I’m hopeful that ours will be not the last but rather the first of these cases to fall.”

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  • The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong

    The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong

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    In The Secret of the Three Fates, Jess Armstrong’s second installment of the Ruby Vaughn Mysteries, we return to the world of the intrepid American heiress-turned-bookseller Ruby Vaughn. After her supernatural encounters in Cornwall in The Curse of Penryth Hall, Ruby finds herself reluctantly drawn into another mystery involving mediums, murder, and long-buried secrets in the misty Scottish Borders.

    Plot and Setting

    The story begins with Ruby accompanying her employer, the mysterious Mr. Owen, to Manhurst Castle under the pretense of acquiring illuminated manuscripts. However, she quickly discovers there’s more to their visit when she learns of an upcoming séance by three mediums calling themselves The Three Fates. The atmospheric setting of 1922 Scotland provides the perfect backdrop for this gothic tale, with its fog-shrouded castles, treacherous cliffs, and the ever-present specter of post-World War I grief.

    Character Development

    One of Armstrong’s strengths lies in her character development. Ruby Vaughn continues to be a compelling protagonist, whose sharp wit and independence make her stand out in the conservative 1920s society. Her relationship with Mr. Owen evolves significantly as his true identity as Lord Hawick comes to light, adding layers of complexity to their dynamic.

    The supporting cast is equally well-drawn, particularly:

    • The enigmatic Ruan Kivell, returning from the first book
    • The mysterious Three Fates
    • Genevieve Demidov, whose true identity becomes central to the plot
    • The Duke of Biddlesford, who proves to be more sinister than his affable exterior suggests

    Writing Style and Atmosphere

    Armstrong’s prose is rich and evocative, perfectly capturing the gothic atmosphere of the Scottish Borders. Her attention to historical detail is impressive, from the period-appropriate dialogue to the nuanced portrayal of post-war society. However, some readers might find the pacing in the middle section slightly uneven, with certain plot revelations feeling rushed while other scenes linger perhaps longer than necessary.

    Strengths

    Areas for Improvement

    • The multiple plot threads occasionally become tangled, making it challenging to follow all the connections
    • Some supernatural elements feel less organically integrated than in the first book
    • A few side characters could have been more fully developed
    • The resolution of certain subplots feels somewhat rushed

    Series Progression

    The Secret of the Three Fates builds effectively on the foundation laid in The Curse of Penryth Hall. While both books can be read independently, readers who have experienced Ruby’s first adventure will appreciate the deeper character development and recurring themes. The supernatural elements are handled differently in this second installment, focusing more on spiritualism and séances rather than the folk magic of Cornwall.

    Themes and Social Commentary

    Armstrong skillfully weaves several compelling themes throughout the narrative:

    • The impact of World War I on British society
    • The role of women in the 1920s
    • Class dynamics and social change
    • The tension between rationality and supernatural belief
    • The power of secrets and their cost

    Target Audience

    This book will appeal to readers who enjoy:

    Comparative Analysis

    While The Secret of the Three Fates shares some DNA with other historical mysteries like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series or Simone St. James’s supernatural mysteries, Armstrong has created something uniquely her own. The blend of historical detail, supernatural elements, and complex character relationships sets it apart from typical genre offerings.

    Technical Elements

    The book’s structure is generally well-crafted, though some readers might find the multiple narrative threads challenging to follow. Armstrong’s research into historical spiritualism and post-war Scotland adds authenticity to the story, but occasionally the historical details can overshadow the main narrative.

    Final Verdict

    The Secret of the Three Fates is a solid follow-up to The Curse of Penryth Hall, though it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor. While the mystery is intriguing and the characters compelling, some pacing issues and overly complex plot threads prevent it from being a perfect reading experience.

    Recommendation

    Despite its flaws, The Secret of the Three Fates is recommended for fans of historical mysteries with supernatural elements. Readers who enjoyed The Curse of Penryth Hall will find much to appreciate here, though newcomers to the series might want to start with the first book to fully appreciate the character development and recurring themes.

    Similar Books Recommended

    • The Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn
    • The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
    • A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
    • The Ghost and the Lady by Kaoru Mori
    • The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

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  • Linkin Park’s comeback album shows Emily Armstrong is less ‘stray cat’ more roaring lion

    Linkin Park’s comeback album shows Emily Armstrong is less ‘stray cat’ more roaring lion

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    Like a “stray cat” who “just kept showing up” is how Emily Armstrong describes the gradual way she joined Linkin Park, seven years after the death of founding co-frontman Chester Bennington. On From Zero, her first album with the band, she roses and snarls more like a look than a backyard moggy.

    The 38-year-old Dead Sara singer joins Mike Shinoda at the mic one minute into lead single “The Emptiness Machine” and a minute later they’re both taking turns bawling: “I only wanted to be part of something!” It’s a line that’s guaranteed to get fan fists pumping the air when the world’s most successful nu-metal band embark on a massive global tour next year.

    Choosing a woman for the role, LP are able to make a clear statement that they’re not trying to “replace” Bennington without tinkering with the core machinery of their distinctive hummable-heavy-duty sound. Not that everybody’s happy to see Armstrong. She’s been called out for her links to Scientology (her parents raised her in that community) and the fact she asked the court to show leniency to actor Danny Masterson in a 2022 case that ultimately saw him  convicted of drugging and raping three women.

    This September she clarified her position, stating: “I always try to see the good in people and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since. Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty. To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathise with the victims of these crimes.”

    It’s a case Armstrong could very well be addressing on barnstorming track “Casualty”. “I know all the secrets you keep/ I won’t be your casualty,” she howls over the relentless churning of a chunky riff from guitarist Brad Delson and the decisively battered drum kit of new drummer Colin Brittain (replacing Rob Bourdon who left the band in 2018). Shinoda’s steady rapper’s flow provides a smooth contrast to Armstrong’s ragged, raging hairdryer vocal on the punchy “Two Faced”. The album’s longest song is also its hookiest: “Heavy is the Crown” clocks in at just under four minutes. Already used as the theme song to the 2024 esports League of Legends World Championship, the track arrives stacked with warrior references to blood, swords and fire. It also packs a catchy chorus of snarky menace: “Today’s gonna be the day you notice/ ‘Cause I’m tired of explainin’ what the joke is.”

    Elsewhere, LP keep things disciplined, with most other tracks running under three and half minutes. Melodic power ballad “Over Each Other”  allows Armstrong to sing more tenderly and melodically, like an Eighties rocker caught in a wind tunnel. “All we are is talking over each other/ Are we over each other?” she asks. The new flavour she brings is balanced by the familiarity of the band’s well-worn chord progressions (fans may hear echoes of 2007’s “Bleed it Out” on “Cut the Bridge”).

    They close the album with the watery guitar lines and loping beat of “Good Things Go”, Armstrong’s melancholy lament (“I can’t do this alone”) overlapping with Shinoda’s helter skelter urgency. Nothing revolutionary about From Zero, then. But certainly a re-energised return to business for a band that has been sorely missed.

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  • “You Need Two Years Of Food” – Martin Armstrong Warns “There Will Be Shortages” As ‘Perfect Storm’ Looms

    “You Need Two Years Of Food” – Martin Armstrong Warns “There Will Be Shortages” As ‘Perfect Storm’ Looms

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    Via Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com,

    Legendary financial and geopolitical cycle analyst Martin Armstrong has new data on how well the Biden economy is doing. 

    Spoiler alert:  It’s not doing well, and the financial system is about to tank.  

    I asked Armstrong if the US government could default on its debt if countries around the world continue to stop buying it?  Armstrong explained:

    “I think the US could default on its debt as early as 2025, but probably in 2027. 

    We have kicked the can down the road as far as we can go.  

    It’s not just in the United States.  Europe is in the same boat.  So is Japan.  This is why they need war. 

    They think by going into war, that’s the excuse to default on the debt.  They simply will not pay China.  If they try to sell their debt–good luck.  We are not redeeming it.  The same thing is happening in Europe. 

    So, once that happens, you go into war, and that is their excuse on this whole debt thing to collapse, which wipes out pensions etc.  Then they can blame Putin. 

    This is the same thing Biden was doing before saying this was Putin’s inflation. 

    Then, with the whole CBDC thing (central bank digital currency) . . . .  the IMF has already completed its digital coin, and they want that to replace the dollar as the reserve currency for the world. . . . These people are desperately just trying to hang on to power.  Nobody wants to give it up, and nobody wants to reform.”

    I asked Armstrong what should the common person be doing now? 

    Armstrong surprisingly said, “I think you need, safely, two years’ worth of food supply. . . .This is what I have.   It’s not just prices will go up, but mainly because there will be shortages.  Then, you do not know what they are going to do with the currency. . . . They will do whatever they have to do to survive.  That’s what governments always do.”

    Armstrong says his most recent data suggests that government approval ratings in the USA are worse that Biden’s 8% approval rating. 

    Congress, according to Armstrong, is dragging the bottom with a 7% approval rating. 

    Armstrong has long said that people will buy gold and silver when faith in government crashes. 

    That is exactly what Armstrong is seeing around the world today.  Gold is bouncing around the $2,300 level, and Armstrong sees “a new gold and silver rally coming soon.” 

    War is also coming sooner than later with the announcement that Ukraine will be joining NATO as early as July.   When the next war starts, Armstrong warns,

    “You are going to have to watch the bank because long term interest rates are going to go up.  Nobody wants to buy government debt, and you are going to have to hunker down at that stage in the game.”

    Armstrong is also predicting a big turn on or about this week.  Armstrong predicts a recession will start then and go on until 2028. 

    GDP will continue to fall, and inflation will continue to rise. 

    Armstrong says it is the perfect storm for a dreaded “stagflation economy.”

    There is much more in the 54-minute interview.

    Join Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog.com as he goes One-on-One with Martin Armstrong, who will preview his “Mid-Year Seminar” in London May 24 & 25 for 5.4.24.

    *  *  *

    To Donate to USAWatchdog.com Click Here

    There is some free information, analysis and articles on ArmstrongEconomics.com. There are many new and recent reports to consider buying by clicking here. The upcoming event Armstrong is hosting is called the “Mid-Year Seminar” in London on May 24 & 25.  There are tickets available for the in-person conference, and multiple option packages to buy for streaming.  (This is the first overseas event Martin Armstrong has hosted since 2019.)

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  • Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong Jones’ marriage – a look back at their relationship timeline

    Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong Jones’ marriage – a look back at their relationship timeline

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    Although Princess Margaret fell in love with Peter Townsend, their relationship was never to be and despite a proposal, their engagement was forbidden by the late Queen.

    However, Margaret was still able to find love, with the royal eventually settling down with photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones after successfully keeping their relationship out of the public eye for many years. The duo wed in 1960 and would go on to welcome children David Armstrong-Jones and Lady Sarah Chatto.

    However, the couple’s relationship ultimately did not go the distance with the pair eventually separating in 1976 before officially divorcing in 1978. Although Margaret did not find another long-term partner, Antony would go on to remarry. Chart the couple’s relationship from the highs to the lows below…

    1958 – The couple’s first meeting

    © Getty Images
    Margaret and Antony met at a private party

    Romance was not in the air when Margaret and Antony first crossed paths, with the duo meeting at a private party that had been thrown by Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, who was one of Margaret’s ladies-in-waiting.

    The couple wouldn’t formally meet until later on that year when the photographer was commissioned to capture a portrait of the royal; the year before Antony had been commissioned to capture portraits of the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and their children, Charles and Anne.

    The couple managed to keep their relationship under wraps with author Anne de Courcy telling Town & Country: “Yes, he would join her at parties, but no one could pinpoint which man she was interested in. The press focused more on the ones who were seen to be eligible. They didn’t think of Tony who was often in the background.“

    October 1959 – The couple get engaged

    Much as their relationship was kept under wraps, the couple’s proposal was also a private affair. Antony reportedly proposed to Margaret on the same day that she learnt her ex-love, Peter Townsend, was engaged.

    February 1960 – Engagement announced

    Antony Armstrong-Jones and Princess Margaret; Margaret is holding a flower© Hulton Archive
    Antony reportedly designed the stunning engagement ring

    The couple went public with their engagement on 27 February 1960. Speaking years after the engagement, Margaret’s granddaughter Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones revealed that Antony designed the engagement ring himself.

    The star told Tatler: “[It was] very simple and very small and I think that’s probably what he wanted, nothing crazy and overstated.”

    May 1960 – Wedding bells

    Antony Armstrong-Joens and Princess Margaret surrounded by bridesmaids© Keystone-France
    The pair married in 1960 – Margaret’s niece Princess Anne was one of the bridesmaids

    On 6 May 1960, the couple walked down the aisle at Westminster Abbey. The pair’s nuptials were historic for a couple of reasons, one being it was the first time a King’s daughter had married a commoner, and it was the first-ever royal wedding to be televised – an estimated 300 million viewers tuned in.

    Due to her father having passed away years before, Margaret was given away by her brother-in-law Prince Philip and following the wedding the royal couple were granted the titles of the Count and Countess of Snowdon.

    The royal bride’s wedding dress has gone on to become one of the most iconic royal gowns thanks to its beautiful simplicity. The silk organza gown was created by Norman Hartnell, the same designer who made the Queen’s wedding dress, and featured long sleeves and a full skirt using over 30 metres of fabric.

    November 1961 – The couple’s first child

    Princess Margaret holding a baby David Armstrong-Jones. Also in the photo are Antony Armstrong-Jones and the Queen Mother© Hulton Archive
    David was born in 1961

    Happiness came for the couple on 3 November 1961 when the pair welcomed their first child, a son, David Armstrong-Jones. David has since founded his own furniture company and welcomed his own children: Charles Armstrong-Jones and Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, who was named in honour of Margaret.

    May 1964 – The couple welcome a second child

    Antony Armstrong-Jones and Princess Margaret with David Armstrong-Jones and a baby Lady Sarah Chatto© Fox Photos
    Lady Sarah was born in 1964

    Just days before the couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary, Margaret and Antony welcomed their second child, Lady Sarah Chatto. Lady has grown up to become a talented artist and has welcomed two sons, Samuel and Arthur Chatto.

    March 1976 – Cracks show as the couple separate

    Margaret and Antony reportedly had a tumultuous marriage with numerous affairs and the couple decided to separate in 1976, 16 years after they tied the knot. On 19 March 1976, Buckingham Palace released a statement reading: “HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and the Earl of Snowdon have mutually agreed to live apart. The Princess will carry out her public duties and functions unaccompanied by Lord Snowdon. There are no plans for divorce proceedings.”

    July 1978 – The couple divorce

    Black-and-white photo of Antony Armstrong-Jones and Princess Margaret at JFK Airport© Tom Wargacki
    Cracks formed and the pair eventually divorced

    On 24 May 1978, the couple’s decree nisi was granted and the divorce was finalised on 11 July 1978. According to Andrew Morton, who wrote the late Princess Diana’s biography, Margaret was devastated by the divorce, and had wanted the relationship to succeed.

    DISCOVER: Royals announcing marriage breakdowns: From King Charles’ amicable split to Peter Phillips’ secret separation

    READ: The Crown: how the late Queen mourned her beloved sister Princess Margaret

    Speaking on Fox News, he claimed: “She was a deeply Christian woman who had her own desires that often conflicted with her faith and she struggled. She desperately wanted the marriage to work, but there were too many challenges.”

    Despite the divorce, Margaret and Antony remained on friendly terms with one another up until the Countess died on 9 February 2002. Antony died on 13 January 2017.

    LISTEN: Our Right Royal Podcast discusses the Palace’s PR crisis…

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  • Pointless host Alexander Armstrong makes rare comments on family life with wife Hannah Bronwen Snow and 4 sons – exclusive

    Pointless host Alexander Armstrong makes rare comments on family life with wife Hannah Bronwen Snow and 4 sons – exclusive

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    Alexander Armstrong is best known for lighting up our screens on TV quiz show Pointless and bringing music to people’s ears on Classic FM. But when it came to charting new territory by writing his first novel, the presenter and comedian turned to his four sons for help.

    “I’ve been reading my book aloud to them and they’ve been amazing,” he tells HELLO! “I can spot instantly when they’re gripped, or when I’ve got too carried away. It’s lovely having them as a sounding board.” 

    “Having four boys, I wanted to write a real page-turner for children their age,” adds Alexander. 

    © PA Images
    Alexander shares sons Henry, Rex, Patrick and Edward with wife Hannah

    Advice from former Pointless co-host Richard Osman

    Alexander’s debut thriller The Golden Linnet comes out in September and not one to rest on his laurels, he has already started writing his second work of fiction. He credits his former Pointless co-host Richard Osman – himself, a seasoned thriller writer – with being another great support.

    “I can check in and say: ‘How do you get around this?’ and he’ll say: ‘Change this.’ It’s a useful thing to bounce ideas off someone and get inspiration.” Oddly enough, the fuller his schedule – he presents a show on Classic FM every weekday morning and spends a quarter of the year filming Pointless, as well as regularly helming Have I Got News for You – the easier he finds it to write.

    “I’m lucky that I’m busy because I have specific times where I have to fit writing in.”

    Alexander and Richard presented TV's Pointless together© Getty Images
    Alexander and Richard presented TV’s Pointless together

    Supporting Big Give’s charity campaign

    He also makes sure to dedicate time for charity work and is delighted to be involved in Arts for Impact, an arts-focussed fundraising drive being run by UK matching fund Big Give and its chair of trustees James Reed.

    The initiative aims to raise £2.5m, with 239 participating charities being allocated match funding of £1.25m from Big Give’s donors. Alexander has chosen to support Music and Theatre for All, a charity founded by musician and director Thomas Guthrie in 2014 to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together with professionals to create opera, music and theatre.

    Alexander teams up with the Lewisham Creative Chorus, a project run by charity Music and Theatre For All© Music and Theatre For All
    Alexander teams up with the Lewisham Creative Chorus, a project run by charity Music and Theatre For All

    Singing the praises of one of the charity’s projects, the Lewisham Creative Chorus, he tells us: “I am evangelical about the power of music and what these brilliant people are doing. Their performances reach out to audiences and light a flame in them.” 

    Alexander Armstrong’s family life

    Music has played a big part in Alexander’s life: at the age of 11, he became a chorister. 

    It plays a big part in home life, too. “Our eldest loves classical music,” says the doting dad. “Our third is a keen drummer – we were considering building a soundproof shed in the garden but thank God for digital drums with headphones. They’re the answer to our prayers!” 

    Marriage to Hannah Bronwen Snow

    A mutual affection for the arts has also made for a harmonious relationship with wife Hannah Bronwen Snow, to whom 54-year-old Alexander has been married more than 20 years. “It’s gone past in the twinkling of an eye,” he says. “Music is a wonderful, shared love of ours and has been from the beginning of our relationship. I’ve just got better at not always putting on my music first thing in the morning!”

    To donate and have your money doubled, search for Music and Theatre for All at biggive.org

    To read the rest of this interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.

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  • Ant McPartlin’s ex Lisa Armstrong ‘heartbroken’ to hear Ant and Dec star is expecting child with new wife

    Ant McPartlin’s ex Lisa Armstrong ‘heartbroken’ to hear Ant and Dec star is expecting child with new wife

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    Ant McPartlin’s first wife Lisa Armstrong is said to be heartbroken to hear the presenter is expecting a child with new wife Anne-Marie Corbett.

    The make-up artist got divorced from McPartlin in 2018 after a 12 year marriage in which the pair wanted children but were unable to.

    McPartlin, one half of Ant and Dec, announced last week that he is set to be a dad for the first time aged 48 with Ms Corbett, who he married in 2021.

    A friend of Ms Armstrong told the Mail: “Ant didn’t even have the decency to let Lisa know.

    “Like the rest of the world, she had to read about it in the news and you can only imagine what a shock that must have been for her.

    “For someone you’d shared so much with not to tell you something that they knew full well was going to become a huge, huge story in the press is pretty hard to get your head around.

    “It is a horrible shame that Lisa had to find out like this. You can just imagine how hard that would hit her. It is heartbreaking.”

    The divorce was finalised in 2018 after the pair broke up a year previously. They had first met back in 1994.

    Ms Corbett has two teenagers from a previous marriage but this will be the first time McPartlin will have his own children, having expressed a long desire to do so.

    A friend of his told the Sun: “This is the news everyone wanted. Ant and Anne-Marie are beyond delighted.

    “It’s no secret that Ant has always wanted children, but that it may never happen for him was something he had, sadly, come to terms with.

    “When they found out last year, they were absolutely delighted, but obviously kept the news quiet for as long as possible.”

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  • Kaitlin Armstrong, killer of elite cyclist, was lured to her arrest by U.S. marshals’ ad for a yoga instructor

    Kaitlin Armstrong, killer of elite cyclist, was lured to her arrest by U.S. marshals’ ad for a yoga instructor

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    Federal authorities planted a phony advertisement, seeking a yoga instructor, to capture the Texas woman later convicted of murdering an elite bicyclist and perceived romantic rival, officials said.

    When detectives suspected that Kaitlin Armstrong, 36, was the person who murdered 25-year-old Moriah “Mo” Wilson, their most daunting task was simply finding the suspect who had vanished from Austin, where the slaying happened on May 11, 2022.

    Tips eventually led authorities to Costa Rica where Deputy U.S. Marshals Damien Fernandez and Emir Perez still had a needle-in-haystack challenge of finding their suspect in the tropical paradise filled with Americans living relaxed expat lives.

    “We had other intelligence indicating that … she was staying in hostels in Costa Rica,” Perez told CBS news magazine “48 Hours.” “And I don’t know if you know anything about Costa Rica, but Costa Rica has a lot of hostels, a lot, an unbelievable amount of hostels.”

    They found a businessman with connections with Armstrong who was now going by the name “Beth” and, according to pictures provided by that contact, she had also changed her appearance.

    And even when the search narrowed to the small mountain town of Santa Teresa, it was still a tough search.

    “I think from the get-go we were told … you’re gonna be in for a surprise ‘cause a lot of the women in Santa Teresa look just like Kaitlin — a lot of them,” Fernandez told the CBS news show.

    With little hope of finding Armstrong, authorities threw a Hail Mary pass.

    “We decided we were gonna put an ad out … or multiple ads for a yoga instructor and see — what would happen,” Perez told “48 Hours.”

    It paid off.

    “We got a bite, somebody that, um, identified herself … as a yoga instructor and said they wanted to meet with us at a particular hostel … and we said … “this is, this is our chance!” Perez told “48 Hours.”

    Perez met Armstrong and got close enough to see bandages on her face, later connected to cosmetic surgery she had to allegedly change her appearance and evade capture.

    Still, the changes weren’t enough to throw Perez off the trail.

    “The eyes are the exact same ones that I saw in the picture,” he said, according to the news show. “And this is her 100%.”

    “He gets in the car, and he is like, ‘That’s her. She’s in there,’” Fernandez said of his partner.

    Local police moved in for the arrest and receipts were later found at Armstrong’s hostel, showing payments made for plastic surgery, officials said.

    A Travis County jury on Nov. 16 last year convicted Armstrong of murder. She was sentenced to 90 years in prison the following day.

    Armstrong’s attorney could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.

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