November 9, 2025 • 9 mins
Title: Meghan’s Taylor Swift Gambit Stalls; Sussex Scrutiny Rises—and William’s Hug Goes ViralDescription: Reports say Meghan’s overtures toward Taylor Swift aren’t landing, as revived claims about her 2016 Rwanda trip and fresh commentary argue the Sussexes face growing institutional pushback. We track William’s Brazil “hug” photos undercutting a long-repeated narrative, a Lisburn plaque dilemma over Andrew’s old title, and renewed debate over what to call “Mr Mountbatten Windsor.”
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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. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I.
I'm your host, Mark Francis. According to The Daily Mail,
Megan Michael is reportedly eager to score an invitation to
the upcoming wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey, though
her efforts so far appear to have fallen flat. The
Duchess of Sussex recently shared a promotional clip for her
(00:25):
lifestyle brand as Ever, using Swift's new song Opelite as
the soundtrack, a move seen as a most direct attempt
yet to get the pop star's attention. The track, widely
believed to be inspired by Swift's romance with Kelsey, was
a carefully chosen nod at a clear olive branch from Megan,
who has long admired the singer, but despite the gesture,
(00:45):
there's little sign that the friendship is blossoming. Swift has
long been friendly with Prince William, performing with him at
a charity gala in twenty thirteen and posing with him
and his children George and Charlotte backstage at her London
concert this summer. Fans dubbed Swift Team Wales after the
singer shared a birthday selfie with the Prince, while Meghan
and Harry were notably absent. In contrast, Meghan's earlier attempts
(01:09):
to connect haven't gone well. She previously invited Swift to
appear on her Archetypes podcast, but lea singer decline through
her representative inside to say the Duchess has made multiple
approaches since with no luck. Adding to the awkwardness, Prince
Harry hasn't been much help in closing the gap. When
comedian Hassan Minaj asked me about a supposed feud between
Swift and Charlie XDX on his podcast, Harry appeared bewildered,
(01:33):
replying the what no, no, suggesting he's not following pop
culture closely. Meghan was reportedly spotted dancing enthusiastically at Swift's
Los Angeles errors to a Stopped last year, but she
wasn't photographed with a singer or seated in the VIP section. Meanwhile,
Swift's public closeness with William has been interpreted by Royal
watches as a deliberate signal. For now, Meghan's pop star
(01:54):
diplomacy seems to be going nowhere. As one Royal insider
put it, the Duchess may be sending all the rights signals,
but Taylor Swift appears firmly on the other side of
the royal isle, and an invite to what's being billed
as the wedding of the Decade looks unlikely to arrive
in Montecito. A royal biographer's claims about Meghan Markul's twenty
sixteen charity trip to Rwanda have resurfaced amid new controversy
(02:18):
surrounding the organization that hosted her world vision. According to
Revenge author Tom Bauer, Meghan opportunistically orchestrated the visit to
promote her humanitarian image, demanding first class flights, a personal
makeup artist, a fashion photographer, and several suitcases of clothes
for the four day trip. He alleged that each pose
was followed by a change of clothing, as she was
(02:40):
photographed hugging and playing with village children while filming a
campaign about clean water projects. Bauer wrote that the actress
insisted on flying to Rwanda first class and being accompanied
by Gabord Jurina, a Canadian fashion photographer, along with American
stylist Michael Goyette, explaining that only Michael knew how to
style My Black Hair. Mans reportedly pushed production costs over budget,
(03:02):
forcing the original producer to drop out. Afterwards, producer Brenda
Saminsky said she was mind blown that anyone would stage
a photoshop in an impoverished African village, adding that Meghan
opportunistically orchestrated the trip to pose as a philanthropist. Meghan
has had no formal connection with the charity since twenty eighteen.
Her official website still notes that she traveled to countries
(03:23):
like Rwanda and India to support humanitarian missions with well Vision,
while her now defunct blog The Tig reflected on the
challenge of moving between refugee camps and red carpets. Bower's
book suggests that even then, Meghan's ambitions were clear. She
was on a path with visions of something good happening
at the end, but her destination was unknown. In The Spectator,
(03:45):
Lee Cohen believes Harry and Meghan deserve the same fate
as Andrew Windsor. The contrast with Andrew is instructive. His
scandals were excruciating, but born of poor judgment and settled
civility without admission of liability. The Sussexes output, by contrast
is active and deliberate, a sustained public narrative of grievance
(04:05):
broadcast globally for substantial financial reward. The Oprah Interview, Netflix
documentary and spare detailed family tensions, media pressures, and institutional shortcomings.
Whether framed as transparency or self promotion, The content has
undeniably damaged the royal family. The government has signaled no
appetite for legislation targeting the Sussexes, and constitutional experts say
(04:28):
that their titles, unlike Andrew's HRH, are hereditary and protected
by law. Still, the King retains levels short of statute.
He could further restrict the Sussex's access to royal platforms,
clarify succession protocols to minimize their Council of State roles,
or issued guidance limiting commercial use of titles in official
contexts Andrews demotion required no public vote. Future clarifications of
(04:51):
royal branding could follow the same sovereign path. The monarchy's
endurance hinges on reputation, trust and adaptability, not sentiments. The
King and Prince of Wales have rightly prioritized institutional integrity
over familial loyalty, as evidenced by Andrew's swift marginalization, the
Sussex's continued prominence sustained by titles they no longer serve.
(05:13):
Tests that resolve Andrew's punishment was just and proportionate. The
Sussex's case is more complex, not criminal, not passive, but
a calculated divergence from the late Queen's vision. Equity does
not demand identical treatment, but it does require consistency. Why
should quitters who work in the service of nothing and
no one but themselves enjoy these honors more palace? In
(05:35):
just a moment, Prince William the Peer too quietly disproved
one of meghan Markos most talked about claims during his
trip to Brazil. While taking part in football drills with
children at Rio's Maricanya Stadium, the Prince of Wales was
photographed laughing, hugging, and high fiving the youngsters, a warm
display that stood in stark contrast to Meghan's description of
(05:57):
her first meeting with him. In the twenty two two
Netflix DOCKU series Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex
recalled that William and Catherine seemed uncomfortable with physical affection,
saying she had greeted him in ripped jeans and barefoot,
explaining I was a hugger. I didn't realize that this
is really jarring for a lot of Brits. Harry later
echoed the sentiment in his memoir Spare, writing that his
(06:17):
brother recoiled when Meghan tried to hug him, but William's
easy embrace of children in Brazil seemed to tell a
different story. Photos of the heir to the throne hugging
and chatting with the young footballers quickly circulated online, with
fans commenting that the jarring theory had finally been debunked.
One wrote the Royals did not find hug's jarring from
genuinely lovely people, Prince William and Rio, while another added,
(06:40):
look not jarring at all. Even a tree has now
been pulled into the storm surrounding Andrew. Mount Batton, Windsor Lisburne,
a city just southwest of Belfast, no one for its
long royal connections and celebrating its four hundredth anniversary this year,
has found itself at the center of the latest fallout
over the former prince. Years ago, when lize Burne marked
it's milestone as a town, Andrew planted an Irish u
(07:04):
tree outside the Council's headquarters at Leighan Valley, Island. A
plaque nearby proudly bought his old title HRH to the
Duke of York. Now that the title has gone and
the city has left wondering what to do with the reminder,
a spokesperson explained the tree was planted to recognize four
hundred years of Lisbon being a town and in line
with our sustainability strategy, we would not be removing it.
(07:25):
Any action regarding the plaque would be undertaken in line
with any future guidance issued by the Northern Ireland Office.
We have contacted the Northern Island Office and await feedback.
Christopher Howes and the Telegraph wonders what will we really
call mister mount Batton windsor hows Rights. After all, you
still find the Princess of where it was being called
(07:45):
Kate Middleton online. I don't think she's ever been called
that at home, and it's now fourteen years since she
became a duchess. There was a vicious circle at work
in calling her Kate. Search Engine optimization sent online traffic
to sites with Kate Middleton. It was like a twitter
pile on a brainless adamibration of the Joys of Ai.
The royal family itself confused things by assuming arbitrary surnames.
(08:07):
Prince William and Prince Harry were known as Wales at
school and had the word written on their military overalls,
but their father, the present King, never had Wales as
a surname, even as Prince of Wales. The King has
wisely kept the present shunting of titles out of Parliament,
but the talkative Chamber of Horrors might have to be
resorted to if we are to ensure Andrew mount Batman
(08:28):
winsor never becomes regent. If by some very sad event,
the King and the Prince of Wales were to predecease
Little Prince George before he is eighteen and twenty thirty one,
the Regency Act comes into force, it would make the
Duke of Sussex the regent, reigning in George's place. That
would be bad, But the Duke of Sussex lives abroad
and that would disqualify him under the Act. So the
(08:49):
lot would fall on Andrew. And there you have it,
if you like to email us addresses the Palace intrigue
at a gmail at dot com. Don't forget Today his Sunday,
and a new episode of Crown and Controversy. Prince Andrew
is out covering the rise and fall of Prince Andrew.
Check it out wherever you get your podcasts like this one.
(09:09):
You can click on the link in the show notes
or just search for Crown and Controversy Prince Andrew. My
France has been thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace,
Intrigue and Good Times.
Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I.
I'm your host, Mark Francis. According to The Daily Mail,
Megan Michael is reportedly eager to score an invitation to
the upcoming wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey, though
her efforts so far appear to have fallen flat. The
Duchess of Sussex recently shared a promotional clip for her
(00:25):
lifestyle brand as Ever, using Swift's new song Opelite as
the soundtrack, a move seen as a most direct attempt
yet to get the pop star's attention. The track, widely
believed to be inspired by Swift's romance with Kelsey, was
a carefully chosen nod at a clear olive branch from Megan,
who has long admired the singer, but despite the gesture,
(00:45):
there's little sign that the friendship is blossoming. Swift has
long been friendly with Prince William, performing with him at
a charity gala in twenty thirteen and posing with him
and his children George and Charlotte backstage at her London
concert this summer. Fans dubbed Swift Team Wales after the
singer shared a birthday selfie with the Prince, while Meghan
and Harry were notably absent. In contrast, Meghan's earlier attempts
(01:09):
to connect haven't gone well. She previously invited Swift to
appear on her Archetypes podcast, but lea singer decline through
her representative inside to say the Duchess has made multiple
approaches since with no luck. Adding to the awkwardness, Prince
Harry hasn't been much help in closing the gap. When
comedian Hassan Minaj asked me about a supposed feud between
Swift and Charlie XDX on his podcast, Harry appeared bewildered,
(01:33):
replying the what no, no, suggesting he's not following pop
culture closely. Meghan was reportedly spotted dancing enthusiastically at Swift's
Los Angeles errors to a Stopped last year, but she
wasn't photographed with a singer or seated in the VIP section. Meanwhile,
Swift's public closeness with William has been interpreted by Royal
watches as a deliberate signal. For now, Meghan's pop star
(01:54):
diplomacy seems to be going nowhere. As one Royal insider
put it, the Duchess may be sending all the rights signals,
but Taylor Swift appears firmly on the other side of
the royal isle, and an invite to what's being billed
as the wedding of the Decade looks unlikely to arrive
in Montecito. A royal biographer's claims about Meghan Markul's twenty
sixteen charity trip to Rwanda have resurfaced amid new controversy
(02:18):
surrounding the organization that hosted her world vision. According to
Revenge author Tom Bauer, Meghan opportunistically orchestrated the visit to
promote her humanitarian image, demanding first class flights, a personal
makeup artist, a fashion photographer, and several suitcases of clothes
for the four day trip. He alleged that each pose
was followed by a change of clothing, as she was
(02:40):
photographed hugging and playing with village children while filming a
campaign about clean water projects. Bauer wrote that the actress
insisted on flying to Rwanda first class and being accompanied
by Gabord Jurina, a Canadian fashion photographer, along with American
stylist Michael Goyette, explaining that only Michael knew how to
style My Black Hair. Mans reportedly pushed production costs over budget,
(03:02):
forcing the original producer to drop out. Afterwards, producer Brenda
Saminsky said she was mind blown that anyone would stage
a photoshop in an impoverished African village, adding that Meghan
opportunistically orchestrated the trip to pose as a philanthropist. Meghan
has had no formal connection with the charity since twenty eighteen.
Her official website still notes that she traveled to countries
(03:23):
like Rwanda and India to support humanitarian missions with well Vision,
while her now defunct blog The Tig reflected on the
challenge of moving between refugee camps and red carpets. Bower's
book suggests that even then, Meghan's ambitions were clear. She
was on a path with visions of something good happening
at the end, but her destination was unknown. In The Spectator,
(03:45):
Lee Cohen believes Harry and Meghan deserve the same fate
as Andrew Windsor. The contrast with Andrew is instructive. His
scandals were excruciating, but born of poor judgment and settled
civility without admission of liability. The Sussexes output, by contrast
is active and deliberate, a sustained public narrative of grievance
(04:05):
broadcast globally for substantial financial reward. The Oprah Interview, Netflix
documentary and spare detailed family tensions, media pressures, and institutional shortcomings.
Whether framed as transparency or self promotion, The content has
undeniably damaged the royal family. The government has signaled no
appetite for legislation targeting the Sussexes, and constitutional experts say
(04:28):
that their titles, unlike Andrew's HRH, are hereditary and protected
by law. Still, the King retains levels short of statute.
He could further restrict the Sussex's access to royal platforms,
clarify succession protocols to minimize their Council of State roles,
or issued guidance limiting commercial use of titles in official
contexts Andrews demotion required no public vote. Future clarifications of
(04:51):
royal branding could follow the same sovereign path. The monarchy's
endurance hinges on reputation, trust and adaptability, not sentiments. The
King and Prince of Wales have rightly prioritized institutional integrity
over familial loyalty, as evidenced by Andrew's swift marginalization, the
Sussex's continued prominence sustained by titles they no longer serve.
(05:13):
Tests that resolve Andrew's punishment was just and proportionate. The
Sussex's case is more complex, not criminal, not passive, but
a calculated divergence from the late Queen's vision. Equity does
not demand identical treatment, but it does require consistency. Why
should quitters who work in the service of nothing and
no one but themselves enjoy these honors more palace? In
(05:35):
just a moment, Prince William the Peer too quietly disproved
one of meghan Markos most talked about claims during his
trip to Brazil. While taking part in football drills with
children at Rio's Maricanya Stadium, the Prince of Wales was
photographed laughing, hugging, and high fiving the youngsters, a warm
display that stood in stark contrast to Meghan's description of
(05:57):
her first meeting with him. In the twenty two two
Netflix DOCKU series Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex
recalled that William and Catherine seemed uncomfortable with physical affection,
saying she had greeted him in ripped jeans and barefoot,
explaining I was a hugger. I didn't realize that this
is really jarring for a lot of Brits. Harry later
echoed the sentiment in his memoir Spare, writing that his
(06:17):
brother recoiled when Meghan tried to hug him, but William's
easy embrace of children in Brazil seemed to tell a
different story. Photos of the heir to the throne hugging
and chatting with the young footballers quickly circulated online, with
fans commenting that the jarring theory had finally been debunked.
One wrote the Royals did not find hug's jarring from
genuinely lovely people, Prince William and Rio, while another added,
(06:40):
look not jarring at all. Even a tree has now
been pulled into the storm surrounding Andrew. Mount Batton, Windsor Lisburne,
a city just southwest of Belfast, no one for its
long royal connections and celebrating its four hundredth anniversary this year,
has found itself at the center of the latest fallout
over the former prince. Years ago, when lize Burne marked
it's milestone as a town, Andrew planted an Irish u
(07:04):
tree outside the Council's headquarters at Leighan Valley, Island. A
plaque nearby proudly bought his old title HRH to the
Duke of York. Now that the title has gone and
the city has left wondering what to do with the reminder,
a spokesperson explained the tree was planted to recognize four
hundred years of Lisbon being a town and in line
with our sustainability strategy, we would not be removing it.
(07:25):
Any action regarding the plaque would be undertaken in line
with any future guidance issued by the Northern Ireland Office.
We have contacted the Northern Island Office and await feedback.
Christopher Howes and the Telegraph wonders what will we really
call mister mount Batton windsor hows Rights. After all, you
still find the Princess of where it was being called
(07:45):
Kate Middleton online. I don't think she's ever been called
that at home, and it's now fourteen years since she
became a duchess. There was a vicious circle at work
in calling her Kate. Search Engine optimization sent online traffic
to sites with Kate Middleton. It was like a twitter
pile on a brainless adamibration of the Joys of Ai.
The royal family itself confused things by assuming arbitrary surnames.
(08:07):
Prince William and Prince Harry were known as Wales at
school and had the word written on their military overalls,
but their father, the present King, never had Wales as
a surname, even as Prince of Wales. The King has
wisely kept the present shunting of titles out of Parliament,
but the talkative Chamber of Horrors might have to be
resorted to if we are to ensure Andrew mount Batman
(08:28):
winsor never becomes regent. If by some very sad event,
the King and the Prince of Wales were to predecease
Little Prince George before he is eighteen and twenty thirty one,
the Regency Act comes into force, it would make the
Duke of Sussex the regent, reigning in George's place. That
would be bad, But the Duke of Sussex lives abroad
and that would disqualify him under the Act. So the
(08:49):
lot would fall on Andrew. And there you have it,
if you like to email us addresses the Palace intrigue
at a gmail at dot com. Don't forget Today his Sunday,
and a new episode of Crown and Controversy. Prince Andrew
is out covering the rise and fall of Prince Andrew.
Check it out wherever you get your podcasts like this one.
(09:09):
You can click on the link in the show notes
or just search for Crown and Controversy Prince Andrew. My
France has been thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace,
Intrigue and Good Times.
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