We also examine claims that Kate’s striking tiara choice at a recent State Banquet was a calculated signal of her future role, sparking reported friction with Queen Camilla as Prince William quietly reshapes the monarchy’s direction.
Plus, William’s latest comments on green spaces and mental wellbeing, Princess Beatrice’s Christmas dilemma amid family divisions, and union warnings that strike action could leave Sandringham facing fuel shortages during the festive season.
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Episode Transcript
Calarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I
am your host, Mark Francis. There are some cracks in
the Kates Wonderful narrative this morning. Speculation is growing about
a possible rift between the Princess of Wales and her
sister Pipper Middleton, following a series of high profile absences
(00:26):
and renewed scrutiny of their relationship. When Catherine married Prince
William in twenty eleven, she ended a royal life with
the full support of the Middleton family behind her, with
Pepper famously standing beside her as maid of honor. In
the years that followed, the sisters were frequently seen together
at public events, appearing close and relaxed. Kate also played
a prominent role in Pepper's wedding to financier James Matthews
(00:49):
in twenty seventeen, attending with a visible show of support. However,
since the start of this year, rumors of tension between
the sisters have been circulating. Observers of notice that during
what has been a difficult period for the Princess of Wales,
including her cancer journey, Pipper has largely been absent from
public view. In relation to her sister. Attention intensified after
(01:13):
Pipper did not attend Kate's annual together at Christmas Carol Service,
an event she has not previously missed. The rest of
the Middleton family was present, with Carroll and Michael Middleton
arriving together following their son James and his wife Alisee Thavina.
Reports suggest Pepper was in the Middle East at the time,
(01:33):
having made what some described as an awkward appearance on
Sky Sports while attending a Formula One event. Royal watchers
have pointed to this as part of a broader pattern,
raising questions about the sister's relationship. Commentary online has been
blunt when user wrote, just as a reminder for all,
Pepper was diving off a yacht when Kate was having
surgery for her precancerous cells, and also did not accompany
(01:57):
Kate to a single Wimbledon game this year. The same
post added, It's very clear that something is up with
those sisters, and I'm not surprised. Kate is a mean girl.
Others highlighted a past interview in which Pepper commented on
her sister's illness, saying Kate was not sick in the
traditional sense. A remark that true criticism at the time.
(02:18):
Another user claimed they haven't been on speaking terms in
a long time, while someone else suggested Pepper has probably
had enough with all the drama and lies. Some have
framed the situation as long standing sibling tension, pointing to
claims that their mother, Carol, has prioritized Kate and her children.
One post said Carol has always prioritized Kate and her
(02:40):
kids over everyone else. Carol always goes on vacation with
them and never Pepper. Carol always spends Christmas with Kate
and never Pepper. I bet Pepper is fed up with
Kate's lies and her mother catering to her all the time.
While the Princess of Wales has never been known for flamboyance,
her choice of jewelry at the state banquet drew particular attention.
(03:03):
Kate wore the Oriental Circlet tiara, commissioned by Prince Albert
for Queen Victoria in eighteen fifty three, and set with
more than two thousand, six hundred diamonds and rubies. It
was her largest tiara to date, and to some observers,
overshadowed Queen Camilla's more understated selection. Sources suggest the choice
was deliberate. One said it was no accident that Kate
(03:24):
wore that enormous tiara. It was highly symbolic, effectively telling
the world that it won't be long before she's queen.
She's so adored within the family and by the British public,
it makes sense that she would start taking a bigger
hand in shaping what the monarchy looks like moving forward.
It is a highly publicized fact that King Charles is
not well, so there is a sense of urgency to
(03:46):
all of this, and Kate is stepping up in a
big way. Kate was later photographed alongside Prince William in
front of a Christmas tree, the couple presenting a united
front after fourteen years of marriage. Speaking earlier this year
on Eugene Levees, The Reluctant and Traveler, William reflected on
his priorities, saying I want to create a world in
which my son is proud of what we do behind
(04:07):
the scenes. The Princess of Wales is said to be
closely aligned with William's vision for change. A source said
William is very focused on accountability and Kate is very
much of the same mind. She believes every senior royal
aught to show exactly what they are doing, why it matters,
and how it helps the public. She wants to streamline
their workload to what could really help. If an engagement
(04:28):
does not support a real charitable impact, it gets cut.
That approach has reportedly caused friction, according to one inside,
and the Old Guard is not happy about this, especially Quincammella,
who does not appreciate being told what standard she has
to meet. But Kate is stronger than people thinking she
is not stepping back. A source told Closer Online that
(04:48):
the Queen believes that the princess' behavior is unacceptable. The
source said, by all accounts, she was hopping mad that
she wore the giant tiara at the banquet last week.
She said it was another blatant attempt by Kate to
hog the limelight. The fact Kate and William are throwing
their weight around and essentially swaggering around like their own
Buckingham palaces totally unacceptable and she's not willing to let
(05:09):
it go. There's no doubt she's panicked about where she'll
stand in the new scheme of things, But instead of
falling into line and respecting Kate, she has chosen to
be petty and territorial royal inside a deep crown tells
Pallas intrigue. If William is indeed operating as de facto
king in twenty twenty six, and the evidence increasingly suggests
he will be, then Catherine's positioning becomes perfectly logical. She
(05:32):
isn't preparing to be queen, She's already performing the role,
and the Tierra was simply making the subtext text. As
for Camilla, and one must have some sympathy for her predicament.
She spent decades in the wilderness, endured public opprobrium, and
finally achieved acceptance as Queen consort. Now she faces the
rather uncomfortable reality that if Charles receives from public life,
(05:52):
her own relevance recedes with him. The jealousy isn't new,
it's resurfacing. Catherine represents everything Camilla never quite managed, youth,
public adoration, and an unassailable position. Small wonder the reported
friction feels less like a policy disagreement and more like
existential panic or palace just a moment. Hey, if you
(06:17):
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support you all give us. Prince William appeared in a
video walking through a park in Surrey with former England
Lions footballer Jill Scott as they mark the one hundredth
anniversary of Fields in Trust, the charity that protects parks,
(07:00):
playing fields and green spaces across the country. William is
the charities patron, while Scott serves as its president. Speaking
at the Windlesham Field of Remembrance, the Prince told Scott
having access to fresh air, a bit of peace and
quiet greenery so good for our minds and bodies. You
need to have that space. You need to have that
in as many communities you can. Scott reflected on how
(07:21):
access to green Space shaped her own life, saying her
local pitch in Sunderland was transformative. She told the Prince
a lot of my childhood was just going to the
local park playing football. Without green Spaces, I probably would
never have gone on to play football at any level.
The video was released to celebrate a century of work
by Field's Intrust, which has helped secure permanent protection for
(07:43):
around three thousand green spaces nationwide. William said his family's
connection to the organization goes way back, including his grandfather
Prince Philip, who served as president for sixty four years.
He said the green space protection part is really important
because once a green space goes has gone forever. Gord
and Trust have done for many years is make sure
that everyone has somewhere as amazing as this on their doorstep.
(08:06):
Princess Beatrice is facing an uncomfortable festive balancing act after
being invited by King Charles to spend Christmas with the
royal family at Sandringham. The situation has left both Beatrice
and her sister, Princess Eugenie caught between competing loyalties with
their parents Andrew and Sarah still excluded from official royal gatherings.
Following their fall from grace. Beatrice is said to be
(08:27):
under particular strain, with one report suggesting she feels pressure
to be in three different places on Christmas Day. Her
preferred option would be a quiet celebration at a Cotswold's
home with her husband edwardom Belly Motzi, the children and
her mother. At the same time, she feels a sense
of duty to appear with senior royals at Sandringham. Complicating
matters further is her desire to spend what could be
(08:47):
her father's final Christmas at Royal Lodge ahead of his
expected departure from the property next year. One source summed
up the dilemma by saying unless she makes a decision
to pick one side and one side only, she will
spend a lot of time in the car. Overall, it
falls to the princesses to soothe family divisions they are
struggling with Christmas. Union bosses are warning that King Charles
(09:09):
and the royal family could face fuel shortages over Christmas
and the New Year, as heating oil delivery drivers plan
strike action that would affect supplies to the Sandringham estate.
Around four hundred tanker drivers at Surtis Energy which supplies
heating oil to Sandringham, are set to walk out as
part of a pay dispute. The Unite Union says the
industrial action could leave the King and Queen facing what
(09:32):
it described as a cold Christmas, with the estate dependent
on sarters for fuel deliveries. Drivers are planning to strike
for a total of fifteen days between December twenty second
and January twenty fifth. The King and Queen are expected
to travel to Sandringham, around eight miles north of kings
Lynn in Norfolk, this weekend and to be joined over
Christmas by more than forty members of the royal family.
(09:54):
The Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to stay
at Annema Hall, which sits with the Sandringham estate, alongside
Saint Mary Magdalene Church, where the royal family traditionally attends
the Christmas Day service. The wider estate also includes Marsh Farm,
where Andrew was expected to live once he leaves Windsor.
The Unite Union's General secretary Sharon Graham said service drivers
(10:15):
don't expect to be treated like royalty, but they do
expect a fair pay raise from their employer. Any impact
on Sandringham may be partly eased by alternative energy sources
on the estate. A biomass bowler, installed by Prince Philip
before his death, is powered by woodchips from trees on
the twenty thousand acre estate, and a solar farm commissioned
by the King is believed to have been completed over
(10:36):
the summer, although it's two thousand panels are less effective
during winter months. The habit. If you'd like to email
us address as the Palace intric at email dot com,
Please fos at Spotify, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, the social hub
of your choice, We're on the mall and leave us
a nice review. If enjoying the show, mark Francis My
thanks to John McDermott's Palace Intrigue in Good Times
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