Fine, that’s your opinion.
Diplomatic language is usually a bunch of mealy mouthed evasions and euphemisms, couched in false compliments and platitudes, ie, lies, and designed to keep the real truth from the citizens of the countries the diplomats are representing.
The Prince is a rare entity in the Modern World, a child of privilege who speaks his mind. Imagine, a Candid Prince, he’s like a character out of a Mark Twain novel.
Again, to me it is the US Ambassador whose judgement is in question, I do not see the Prince as rude, and what the heck is “Cocky”, is that a pejorative now.
I would have classified the Prince as a rare fount of honesty, and plucky or brash instead of cocky for actually speaking truth and facts rather that lies and wishful groupthinking, which seems to be the hallmark of our rather tetchy ambassador.
Awfully thin skin there, wouldn’t you say?
I mean, why didn’t she just say, “Oh, Prince dearie, we don’t discuss these things over tea. We’re Americans, you know, and this is not quite cricket, old chap”.
You guys are too funny.
That's your opinion, for what little it's worth.
The last thing a diplomat needs, is to have to go on the defensive for having said something stupid. So, yes, it's all very carefully worded -- the alternative generally being much less pleasant.
Good ol' Andy has put his country on the defensive now, in a country where they'd been trying to make a good impression. Let's see how that turns out for them.
The same prince who is best buds with Jeff Epstein?