Marriage Quote by Anthony Holden

Holden’s sentence is a masterclass in journalistic self-justification disguised as anecdote: breathless, linear, and strategically crowded with cause-and-effect. He starts with a claim of necessity - “he’d changed so much that a whole new book was required” - which does two things at once. It elevates the author from opportunist to conscientious chronicler, and it frames the subject (the Prince) as unstable enough to demand constant reinterpretation. Change becomes both news value and moral cover.

The real flex is the quiet pivot from observation to ownership: “the first to say that the marriage was in trouble.” That phrase isn’t about truth so much as priority. In celebrity and royal reporting, being right matters; being first matters more. Holden is signaling scoop culture, where the reward is not merely insight but the public record stamped with your name.

Then comes the subtext of grievance and validation: “the Prince didn’t like at all.” Royal displeasure is presented as proof of impact, almost proof of accuracy. It’s the old media logic that outrage confirms relevance, especially when the powerful are the ones bristling.

Finally, the serialization detail - “Sunday Times over five weeks” - is not incidental; it’s a reminder of reach. Holden isn’t just recounting a publishing decision, he’s underlining the machinery: a private life converted into a public drip-feed, timed for maximum attention. The sentence reads like a defense, but it’s also a boast about access, timing, and the author’s role in nudging a marriage from rumor into mainstream narrative.