November 13, 2025 • 9 mins
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s last business venture, Pitch@Palace Global, is officially being dissolved — ending his attempt to play royal dragon in a Dragons’ Den world.
Meanwhile, Sarah Ferguson hides out in her private bar, “The Doghouse,” drowning stress in champagne and fear of eviction from Royal Lodge. Reports claim she’s even considering selling private letters from Princess Diana to stay afloat, a move that could ignite royal fury. And in the latest twist, Buckingham Palace quietly restores Andrew’s long-lost hyphen, confirming his surname is once again Mountbatten-Windsor — or as some might say, Mountbatten-Dash-Disaster.
Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.
Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.
👑 Follow our hit series Crown and Controversy! Season 1 is fully available now for everyone. Season 2 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 2 BEFORE REGULAR LISTENERS as a subscriber! Hit that "UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING" Banner on the top of the Apple player. AND listen to Crown and Controversy "NORWAY'S ROYAL REBELS" here and get the full season as a premium subscriber now.
👑 The Palace Intrigue Social Hub is Live! Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram or click the links to start your royal journey!
Meanwhile, Sarah Ferguson hides out in her private bar, “The Doghouse,” drowning stress in champagne and fear of eviction from Royal Lodge. Reports claim she’s even considering selling private letters from Princess Diana to stay afloat, a move that could ignite royal fury. And in the latest twist, Buckingham Palace quietly restores Andrew’s long-lost hyphen, confirming his surname is once again Mountbatten-Windsor — or as some might say, Mountbatten-Dash-Disaster.
Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.
Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.
👑 Follow our hit series Crown and Controversy! Season 1 is fully available now for everyone. Season 2 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 2 BEFORE REGULAR LISTENERS as a subscriber! Hit that "UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING" Banner on the top of the Apple player. AND listen to Crown and Controversy "NORWAY'S ROYAL REBELS" here and get the full season as a premium subscriber now.
👑 The Palace Intrigue Social Hub is Live! Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram or click the links to start your royal journey!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calorogus Shark Media that hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.
I am your host, Mark Francis. Due to overwhelming demand,
we are going to continue with our second episode of
Palace Intrigue every day, so you'll get your first episode
around three am Eastern and then this one will drop
(00:24):
around noon or lunchtime each day as well. And we
thank you so much for your support, and we'll continue
to bring you the news as it happens. Andrew mount
Batten Windsor is closing the book on what remains of
his business ventures, with formal proceedings now under way to
dissolve pitch at Palace Global, his Dragon's Den style startup competition,
(00:45):
once designed to connect young entrepreneurs with investors. A filing
submitted to company's house on Tuesday confirmed the closure, signed
by its sole director, Arthur Lancaster. Launched in twenty fourteen,
Pitch at Palace held events and settings which Saint James
Pallace and attracted global participants, pitching two investors. The enterprise
(01:06):
ground to a halt in twenty nineteen, shortly after mount
Baton Windsor's now infamous BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship
with Jeffrey Epstein, during which he denied having any sexual
contact with Virginia Geoffrey. The UK branch of Pitchet Palace
was wound up in twenty twenty one, but the international
arm Pitchet Palace Global remained active until now. The most
(01:28):
recent amounts showed cash reserves of just over ten thousand
pounds as of March, down sharply from two hundred twenty
thousand the year prior. The brand has faced additional complications overseas.
In twenty twenty three, Yang Tangbo, who founded the Chinese branch,
was accused of being a spy, an allegation he denied.
The UK's National Security Court upheld a ban preventing him
(01:50):
from entering Britain, rejecting his appeal before the Special Immigration
Appeals Commission. Another business linked to Mount Baton, Windsor in
a Va Global Limited, has also begun the process of
shutting down. According to further company's house documents, Sarah Ferguson
has said to be spending more and more time in
the purpose built bar called the Doghouse, which we've talked
(02:13):
about before, which is a wonderfully appropriate name if you
think about it. The doghouse is located beside the thirty
room Royal Lodge estate in Windsor Great Park. According to insiders,
she has been using the private retreat to escape, often
asking staff to stay late and listen as she vents
her frustrations. The source says she's been hurt having some
pretty intense conversations about what is going on. Luckily, Sarah
(02:36):
has quite a few staff left working for her who
really like her, and she is really leaning on them
for support. She spends quite a lot of evenings in
the doghouse drinking with friends and staff to escape from
what's going on in her life generally, and while she's
there she takes advice on what to do next. For
news dot co dot au, DANIELA Elsa writes, there is
one bar in the world where no sane, sensible person
(02:59):
still in command and of their faculties wants to drink
right now, the unironically named Doghouse. If you haven't heard
of this, it's because you are not one of the
lucky people who call Andrew mount Batten Windsor and Sarah
Ferguson your boss. The former Duchess in particular, is panicking
about what comes next and she is not in a
good place. Still, someone inside the lodge is clearly composmentous
(03:21):
enough to have arranged for several boxes of French Devaux
brand champagne, which costs about ninety dollars a bottle in Australia,
to be ferried over. The former marriages, who Fergie once
described as the world's happiest divorced couple, no longer sound
like they are quite such a success story for the
concisely uncoupled. Sure, Andrew and She might be both living
(03:43):
in the thirty room pile, but they are in different wings,
which are at different ends of the palatial property, and
doing what sounds like a lot of forlornly staring out
of windows and wondering which Caribbean countries have no extradition
treaties Sensationally. The male has also reported that not only
is Arles having to find a royal property to stashus
(04:03):
melodorous burk of a brother, but his former sister in
law too, with the male revealing the plans are a
foot too. Quietly and discreetly rehome the sixty six year
old former Duchess, albeit at the King's expense to compensate
her for the loss of a roof over her head,
you would have to think there's some method to this
pr madness, because a homeless, truly broke Fergs would be
(04:24):
a very dangerous thing for the palace. Indeed, pushing her
to the very edge financially could leave her desperate and
with no options but to truly throw Andrew In the
Royal family under the bus via some sort of eyelid,
a pealing tell the TV or book of visceration. However,
even when the King has found a couple of estate
properties with working central heating and no public sight lines,
(04:45):
as we know when it comes to Andrew and Fergie,
things can always get worse. And yes, things can always
get worse. Sarah is reportedly considering selling a private collection
of letters written to her by Princess Diana, correspondence said
to contain personal reflects on the late Princess's troubled marriage
to then Prince Charles. According to New Idea magazine, the
(05:06):
former Duchess of York has kept the letters for decades
and now views them as a potential financial lifeline as
she and her ex husband Andrew mount Batten Windsor prepare
to vacate Royal Lodge following the King's order for them
to leave the property, and insider told the publication Fergue's
long hoarded correspondence from Diana, with some letters containing vivid
(05:27):
details about her disastrous marriage to Charles. Anything related to
Diana can fetch a fortune. The treasure trove of letters
from Diana is Fergie's secret weapon. The same source claimed
Ferguson is facing mounting financial pressure and may turn to
the letters or even a new Tellol memoir to secure
her future. She's freaking out right now, but it won't
(05:47):
take her long to start plotting her next move. The
insiders said. Fergie and Andrew have got nothing further to lose,
so if they need to sell out the royal family,
don't be surprised if they do it. Ferguson has previously
spoken fondly of her with Diana, describing her as a
dear friend and sisterlike figure. However, if the report proves accurate,
the sale of Diana's private correspondence would be seen as
(06:08):
a stunning breach of royal trust and a move likely
to infuriate King Charles. Never mind Diana's son William Well
Pallas in just the moment. In The Independent Lydia Spencer
Elliott wonders if a hyphen is common or posh, she writes.
(06:29):
Andrew was once assumed to be joining the likes of aristocrats,
including the Spencer Dash, Churchills, Bows, Dash Lions and Petty
Dash Fitz Maurice's of the world, to tether his two
family names together as one. But when Buckingham Pallis announced
his new title, there was nothing but blank space between
the storied surnames. The late Queen mother, who was Elizabeth
(06:51):
Bow's Dash Lion on all official documents, went by Elizabeth
Bow's Lion without the hyphen. In reality, because the royal family,
they go a lot going on, simply have made a
very high profile typo well good news. Buckingham Palaces quietly
clarified the long dash debated issue of Andrew's surname, confirming
that it will now appear with a hyphen Mount Baton
(07:13):
Dash Windsor, in line with Queen Elizabeth the Second's nineteen
sixty declaration. When asked earlier this year about the absence
of a hyphen in recent documents of palace, spokesman said
simply Andrew mount Batten Windsor was the name agreed. However,
it is understood that the Pallace has since viewed the
original nineteen sixty Privy Council declaration, which clearly includes the
(07:34):
hyphen and will use the hyphenated form going forward. After
Elizabeth's accession in nineteen fifty two, she had decreed that
the royal family would remain Windsor, a decision that infuriated
Prince Philip, who felt erased from his own children's lineage.
I'm just a bloody member, he reportedly fumed at the time,
saying he was the only man in the country not
permitted to give his name to his children. In nineteen sixty,
(07:57):
the Queen offered her husband a concession, agreeing to the
double barreled surname Mount Baton dash windsor ites you made
public in a formal declaration on February eighth that year,
just ahead of Andrew's birth on February nineteenth. The document read,
my descendants other than descendants enjoying the stale title or
attribute of Royal Highness and the titular dignity of Prince
(08:17):
or Princess. Female descendants who marry and their descendants shall
bear the name of Mount Baton dash Windsor the name
appears in that form on the Royal Family's official website,
and there you have it. If you like to email
us our addresses the palasintric at gmail dot com. Don't forget.
We have the new show Crown and Controversy Prince Andrew
(08:38):
about his whole life from a young child to his
fall from grace. It's available wherever you get your podcasts
like this one, and you can get the link in
the show notes or just search Crown and Controversy Prince Andrew.
I'm Mike Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is
Palace Intrigue and continue hands
Calorogus Shark Media that hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.
I am your host, Mark Francis. Due to overwhelming demand,
we are going to continue with our second episode of
Palace Intrigue every day, so you'll get your first episode
around three am Eastern and then this one will drop
(00:24):
around noon or lunchtime each day as well. And we
thank you so much for your support, and we'll continue
to bring you the news as it happens. Andrew mount
Batten Windsor is closing the book on what remains of
his business ventures, with formal proceedings now under way to
dissolve pitch at Palace Global, his Dragon's Den style startup competition,
(00:45):
once designed to connect young entrepreneurs with investors. A filing
submitted to company's house on Tuesday confirmed the closure, signed
by its sole director, Arthur Lancaster. Launched in twenty fourteen,
Pitch at Palace held events and settings which Saint James
Pallace and attracted global participants, pitching two investors. The enterprise
(01:06):
ground to a halt in twenty nineteen, shortly after mount
Baton Windsor's now infamous BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship
with Jeffrey Epstein, during which he denied having any sexual
contact with Virginia Geoffrey. The UK branch of Pitchet Palace
was wound up in twenty twenty one, but the international
arm Pitchet Palace Global remained active until now. The most
(01:28):
recent amounts showed cash reserves of just over ten thousand
pounds as of March, down sharply from two hundred twenty
thousand the year prior. The brand has faced additional complications overseas.
In twenty twenty three, Yang Tangbo, who founded the Chinese branch,
was accused of being a spy, an allegation he denied.
The UK's National Security Court upheld a ban preventing him
(01:50):
from entering Britain, rejecting his appeal before the Special Immigration
Appeals Commission. Another business linked to Mount Baton, Windsor in
a Va Global Limited, has also begun the process of
shutting down. According to further company's house documents, Sarah Ferguson
has said to be spending more and more time in
the purpose built bar called the Doghouse, which we've talked
(02:13):
about before, which is a wonderfully appropriate name if you
think about it. The doghouse is located beside the thirty
room Royal Lodge estate in Windsor Great Park. According to insiders,
she has been using the private retreat to escape, often
asking staff to stay late and listen as she vents
her frustrations. The source says she's been hurt having some
pretty intense conversations about what is going on. Luckily, Sarah
(02:36):
has quite a few staff left working for her who
really like her, and she is really leaning on them
for support. She spends quite a lot of evenings in
the doghouse drinking with friends and staff to escape from
what's going on in her life generally, and while she's
there she takes advice on what to do next. For
news dot co dot au, DANIELA Elsa writes, there is
one bar in the world where no sane, sensible person
(02:59):
still in command and of their faculties wants to drink
right now, the unironically named Doghouse. If you haven't heard
of this, it's because you are not one of the
lucky people who call Andrew mount Batten Windsor and Sarah
Ferguson your boss. The former Duchess in particular, is panicking
about what comes next and she is not in a
good place. Still, someone inside the lodge is clearly composmentous
(03:21):
enough to have arranged for several boxes of French Devaux
brand champagne, which costs about ninety dollars a bottle in Australia,
to be ferried over. The former marriages, who Fergie once
described as the world's happiest divorced couple, no longer sound
like they are quite such a success story for the
concisely uncoupled. Sure, Andrew and She might be both living
(03:43):
in the thirty room pile, but they are in different wings,
which are at different ends of the palatial property, and
doing what sounds like a lot of forlornly staring out
of windows and wondering which Caribbean countries have no extradition
treaties Sensationally. The male has also reported that not only
is Arles having to find a royal property to stashus
(04:03):
melodorous burk of a brother, but his former sister in
law too, with the male revealing the plans are a
foot too. Quietly and discreetly rehome the sixty six year
old former Duchess, albeit at the King's expense to compensate
her for the loss of a roof over her head,
you would have to think there's some method to this
pr madness, because a homeless, truly broke Fergs would be
(04:24):
a very dangerous thing for the palace. Indeed, pushing her
to the very edge financially could leave her desperate and
with no options but to truly throw Andrew In the
Royal family under the bus via some sort of eyelid,
a pealing tell the TV or book of visceration. However,
even when the King has found a couple of estate
properties with working central heating and no public sight lines,
(04:45):
as we know when it comes to Andrew and Fergie,
things can always get worse. And yes, things can always
get worse. Sarah is reportedly considering selling a private collection
of letters written to her by Princess Diana, correspondence said
to contain personal reflects on the late Princess's troubled marriage
to then Prince Charles. According to New Idea magazine, the
(05:06):
former Duchess of York has kept the letters for decades
and now views them as a potential financial lifeline as
she and her ex husband Andrew mount Batten Windsor prepare
to vacate Royal Lodge following the King's order for them
to leave the property, and insider told the publication Fergue's
long hoarded correspondence from Diana, with some letters containing vivid
(05:27):
details about her disastrous marriage to Charles. Anything related to
Diana can fetch a fortune. The treasure trove of letters
from Diana is Fergie's secret weapon. The same source claimed
Ferguson is facing mounting financial pressure and may turn to
the letters or even a new Tellol memoir to secure
her future. She's freaking out right now, but it won't
(05:47):
take her long to start plotting her next move. The
insiders said. Fergie and Andrew have got nothing further to lose,
so if they need to sell out the royal family,
don't be surprised if they do it. Ferguson has previously
spoken fondly of her with Diana, describing her as a
dear friend and sisterlike figure. However, if the report proves accurate,
the sale of Diana's private correspondence would be seen as
(06:08):
a stunning breach of royal trust and a move likely
to infuriate King Charles. Never mind Diana's son William Well
Pallas in just the moment. In The Independent Lydia Spencer
Elliott wonders if a hyphen is common or posh, she writes.
(06:29):
Andrew was once assumed to be joining the likes of aristocrats,
including the Spencer Dash, Churchills, Bows, Dash Lions and Petty
Dash Fitz Maurice's of the world, to tether his two
family names together as one. But when Buckingham Pallis announced
his new title, there was nothing but blank space between
the storied surnames. The late Queen mother, who was Elizabeth
(06:51):
Bow's Dash Lion on all official documents, went by Elizabeth
Bow's Lion without the hyphen. In reality, because the royal family,
they go a lot going on, simply have made a
very high profile typo well good news. Buckingham Palaces quietly
clarified the long dash debated issue of Andrew's surname, confirming
that it will now appear with a hyphen Mount Baton
(07:13):
Dash Windsor, in line with Queen Elizabeth the Second's nineteen
sixty declaration. When asked earlier this year about the absence
of a hyphen in recent documents of palace, spokesman said
simply Andrew mount Batten Windsor was the name agreed. However,
it is understood that the Pallace has since viewed the
original nineteen sixty Privy Council declaration, which clearly includes the
(07:34):
hyphen and will use the hyphenated form going forward. After
Elizabeth's accession in nineteen fifty two, she had decreed that
the royal family would remain Windsor, a decision that infuriated
Prince Philip, who felt erased from his own children's lineage.
I'm just a bloody member, he reportedly fumed at the time,
saying he was the only man in the country not
permitted to give his name to his children. In nineteen sixty,
(07:57):
the Queen offered her husband a concession, agreeing to the
double barreled surname Mount Baton dash windsor ites you made
public in a formal declaration on February eighth that year,
just ahead of Andrew's birth on February nineteenth. The document read,
my descendants other than descendants enjoying the stale title or
attribute of Royal Highness and the titular dignity of Prince
(08:17):
or Princess. Female descendants who marry and their descendants shall
bear the name of Mount Baton dash Windsor the name
appears in that form on the Royal Family's official website,
and there you have it. If you like to email
us our addresses the palasintric at gmail dot com. Don't forget.
We have the new show Crown and Controversy Prince Andrew
(08:38):
about his whole life from a young child to his
fall from grace. It's available wherever you get your podcasts
like this one, and you can get the link in
the show notes or just search Crown and Controversy Prince Andrew.
I'm Mike Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is
Palace Intrigue and continue hands
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