December 6, 2025 • 10 mins
An eyebrow-raising quote regarding King Charles. Our insider Deep Crown advises extreem caution.
Meanwhile, the Germans were in town for a full-scale Windsor extravaganza: a glittering state banquet, a Black Forest–inspired cocktail, and Princess Catherine stealing the show (again) in white-tie and a tiara. The King and Queen even capped the visit with a chaotic, charming game of giant snakes and ladders. And in a rare fashion twist, Kate and Camilla broke long-standing royal protocol by turning up in matching shades of blue. We break down the drama, the diplomacy, and why this state visit ended with declarations of “unbelievable” hospitality — and a very enthusiastic “Happy Christmas!” from President Steinmeier.
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 and 2 are fully available now for everyone. Season 3 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 3 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, the Germans were in town for a full-scale Windsor extravaganza: a glittering state banquet, a Black Forest–inspired cocktail, and Princess Catherine stealing the show (again) in white-tie and a tiara. The King and Queen even capped the visit with a chaotic, charming game of giant snakes and ladders. And in a rare fashion twist, Kate and Camilla broke long-standing royal protocol by turning up in matching shades of blue. We break down the drama, the diplomacy, and why this state visit ended with declarations of “unbelievable” hospitality — and a very enthusiastic “Happy Christmas!” from President Steinmeier.
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 and 2 are fully available now for everyone. Season 3 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 3 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 Inturgy Game,
your host, Mark Francis. A quote from a source to
US magazine caught our attention. The article titled why the
Royals Holiday season may carry a wistful tone amid health
struggles and family scandals is ostensibly an overview of the
(00:26):
royal holiday plans, but it's this quote from the source
that is very interesting. The source said, Charles prioritizes duty,
but he's also a family man who knows his time
is precious. He wants a special last Christmas in case
it's his last. We asked our Royal inside a deep
Crown about this, and he immediately shot things down, writing
us back, One must be rather careful with such maudlin speculation.
(00:50):
His Majesty is seventy seven, not on his deathbed, and
framing Christmas gatherings as potentially final occasions does neither the
King nor the institution any favors. It smacks of the
sort of emotional manipulation one associates with certain California based
relatives who've made careers of personal drama. That said, there
(01:11):
is truth in recognizing that Charles understands the weight of
time differently. Now he spends seven decades waiting for the crown.
He knows better than most how finite our moments are.
But let's be clear, prioritizing duty and being a family
man aren't separate pursuits for a monarch. They're the same thing.
The family is the institution. Christmas at Sandringham isn't a
(01:33):
sentimental indulgence. It's the firm at work, presenting continuity and
stability to the nation. The king learned from his mother
that you don't get to separate your personal desires from
your constitutional obligations. The late Queen spent every Christmas fulfilling
her duty, and her family gathered around that duty. If
Charles wants his family together, it's not because he's feeling mortal.
(01:54):
It's because he knows the monarchy requires that visible unity.
One rather suspects he'd prefer certain absent members would remember
that as well. As this very busy news cycle continues,
we wanted to catch up on the German state visit.
One of the highlights was King Charles hosting a grand
state banquet at Windsor Castle, as is customary for such occasions.
(02:16):
The evening featured a specially commissioned menu, presented in French
that nodded to German flavors while showcasing British ingredients. Guests
began with a warm tartlet of smoked trout, alongside Lanngustine's
quail eggs and a delicate shellfish sauce. The main course
was windsor partridge prepared in pastry, served with confe cabbage,
(02:38):
crushed carrots with swede an assortment of winter vegetables, finished
with a bridge port sauce. Dessert took the form of
the baked Alaska, combining BlackBerry vanilla and raspberry ice creams.
Coffee and petty fours followed. In keeping with a newer
royal tradition, A bespoke cocktail was also created for the occasion,
inspired by black Forest gatteaux. The wine selection included Chateau
(03:00):
Lafleur Petris Pomeol nineteen ninety five, chosen to mark the
year of the President and First Ladies wedding. The choices
represented a notable departure from the banquet held for President
Donald Trump in September, when the menu began with Hampshire
watercriss panicotta with a Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad,
followed by organic Norfolk chicken wrapt in curquetes with a
(03:22):
time and save Jeu. That evening concluded with vanilla ice
cream bomb with Kentish raspberry sorbean lightly poached Victoria plums.
This week's German visit formerly began when the Prince and
Princess of Wales welcomed President Steinmeyer and Miss bunden Bender
on their arrival at Heathrow. The party then traveled to
Windsor in a ceremonial procession, with the King and Queen
(03:44):
greeted along the route by crowds and flanked by personnel
from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal
Air Force. Streets were lined with both British and German flags.
Upon arriving at the quadrangle at Windsor Castle, the German
President inspected a guard of honour with His Majesty. The
band performed March des yoshin Corpse by Beethoven. This has
(04:05):
been the first German state visit to the United Kingdom
in twenty seven years, and only the fifth since nineteen
fifty eight. It also marked the third incoming state visit
for the King this year, following those of French President
Emmanuel Macron in July and President Donald Trump in September.
The star of the show, as usual was Kate. For
the white tied dinner, Princess Catherine appeared in a full
(04:28):
length ball gown and tiara. Ahead of the banquet, the
Prince and Princess of Wales shared a preview of their
evening attire on social media, standing in front of a
Christmas tree for a festive photograph. They wrote on Instagram,
looking forward to a special banquet tonight in Windsor. The
banquet marked Catherine's third state dinner of the year. In July,
(04:48):
she attended the French President Emanuel Macron, wearing the lover
was not tiara and a red gown with cape style
detailing by Sarah Burton. For Givon, she completed with an
evening club which embroidered with Lily of the Valley. In September,
at the state banquet for US President Donald Trump, she
chose a Philippa Lepley full length hand embroidered gold lace
(05:10):
coat over a silk crape gown. The coat embellished with
roses in couched gold corning French knots and sat and
stitched broooms. On the second day of the German state visit,
King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the President and his
wife at Windsor Castle for a lighter, more informal engagement,
which culminated in an unexpected game of giant snakes and ladders.
(05:33):
After spending the night at the castle, following the state banquet,
the German President and First Lady joined the King and
Queen to meet staff and volunteers from organizations working in
areas of shared interest including food waste, the environment, youth initiatives,
health and employee volunteering, and heritage. Before the event, the
visitors had privately laid a wreath at the tomb of
Queen Elizabeth II in Saint George's Chapel, a gesture that
(05:56):
has now become customary during state visits. In the Inner Hall,
the royal party were greeted by a pair of guide
dog puppies and showing a Victorian sleigh originally designed by
Prince Albert for Queen Victoria and used family outings. Representatives
from one of the charities, Citizen Hub, then invited both
royal couples to take part in oversized game of snakes
(06:19):
and ladders, using a large foam dice and answering a
question linked to whatever square they landed on. When the
Queen was asked to describe a time she had helped someone,
she reflected on her long running work on domestic abuse.
She replied them she hoped she had helped victims through
her campaigning, adding I hope I have several times. The
(06:39):
King meanwhile, chose not to respond to a question about
a challenge he had faced and how he might have
handled it differently, gesturing instead towards the assembled media and
tactfully declining to answer. One wonders what his candid answer
might be. At one stage, with the room crowded and bustling,
the King and Queen unexpectedly found themselves face to face
(07:00):
from opposite sides of the hall and burst out laughing
at the cheerful indoor chaos. The Victorian sleigh, its vivid
red upholstery fully restored, proved a particular talking point. It
had been brought into the Inner Hall for the duration
of the visit to protect it from weather. Miss Bundenbender
exclaimed wow on seeing it and running a hand along
(07:20):
the fabric. As the party were told about its history
and how it functioned. The sleigh was originally used by
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who drove it himself across
the South Downs, and had appeared in a drawing showing
the couple and their children riding in the snow near Brighton.
Over time, it has also been used at Sandringham and Windsor.
Was restored by the Royal Mews in nineteen eighty nine,
(07:42):
displayed publicly for two decades, and later placed in storage
at the Windsor Coach House. It is not believed to
have carried a member of the royal family since the
Victorian era, though the late Queen Elizabeth I viewed it
while it was on display. It is one of five
slaves in the Royal collection. The King, Queen, President and
First Lady posed with a reproduction of the drawing of
(08:04):
Albert driving his family in the sleigh, while simultaneously studying
the real vehicle in front of them and chatting warmly
about the details. As the visit drew to a close,
President Steinmeyer offered an effusive farewell, thanking the King in
detail for the hospitality at Windsor. You were so generous
inviting us the staying of the night. He said, we
(08:24):
had a good breakfast and wonderful banquet yesterday. His wife added,
it was really so wonderful, unbelievable. We will never forget it,
said the President. As the Queen and Miss bunden Bender
said their goodbyes and exchanged kisses, the first Lady told
her it was so wonderful all the best. Camilla replied,
hopefully see you again before too long. Really lovely to
(08:45):
see you again. The Queen also told the President, I
hope we'll meet again. As he walked towards his car.
The President turned back to his host and called out
Happy Christmas. More palacing just a moment, the Standard was
fascinated by the color blue. The Queen and Princess of
(09:05):
Wales appeared in coordinated blue outfits as they welcomed the
German president, a choice that quietly breaks long standing royal
clothing protocol. Traditionally, senior royal women avoid wearing the same
colour at major engagements, a guideline highlighted by Megan Markele
in her Netflix series when she said she rarely wore
color to avoid clashing with more senior members. Despite that convention,
(09:27):
both Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales stepped out
in blue, the Princess in bespoke Alexander, the Queen coat
dressed with sapphire jewelry once worn by Princess Diana, and
the Queen in an electric blue Anna Valentine coat paired
with a Philip Treacy hat. According to reports, the rule
around colour has been relaxed for blue, specifically, Queen Camilla's
(09:49):
fondness for the shade, combined with the fact that she
now chooses her outfit first, reportedly made it increasingly difficult
for stylists to avoid clashes with the Princess of Wales
and the Dutch of Edinburgh, who also favored blue. The
new approach allows senior royal women to wear blue at
the same event, provided each chooses a different shade. We'll
(10:09):
be back in the morning with the rest of the
top twenty five Royals stories of twenty twenty five. It's
a busy weekend and will jump in if there is
any more breaking news, which there seems to be once
an hour this week. Then there you have it. I'd
like to email us who addresses the Palace Intrigue at
a gmail dot com. Please follow us on all your
favorite apps and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Come
(10:29):
say hi, I'm Mark Francis My thanks to John McDermott.
This is palace intrigue in good terms.
Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Inturgy Game,
your host, Mark Francis. A quote from a source to
US magazine caught our attention. The article titled why the
Royals Holiday season may carry a wistful tone amid health
struggles and family scandals is ostensibly an overview of the
(00:26):
royal holiday plans, but it's this quote from the source
that is very interesting. The source said, Charles prioritizes duty,
but he's also a family man who knows his time
is precious. He wants a special last Christmas in case
it's his last. We asked our Royal inside a deep
Crown about this, and he immediately shot things down, writing
us back, One must be rather careful with such maudlin speculation.
(00:50):
His Majesty is seventy seven, not on his deathbed, and
framing Christmas gatherings as potentially final occasions does neither the
King nor the institution any favors. It smacks of the
sort of emotional manipulation one associates with certain California based
relatives who've made careers of personal drama. That said, there
(01:11):
is truth in recognizing that Charles understands the weight of
time differently. Now he spends seven decades waiting for the crown.
He knows better than most how finite our moments are.
But let's be clear, prioritizing duty and being a family
man aren't separate pursuits for a monarch. They're the same thing.
The family is the institution. Christmas at Sandringham isn't a
(01:33):
sentimental indulgence. It's the firm at work, presenting continuity and
stability to the nation. The king learned from his mother
that you don't get to separate your personal desires from
your constitutional obligations. The late Queen spent every Christmas fulfilling
her duty, and her family gathered around that duty. If
Charles wants his family together, it's not because he's feeling mortal.
(01:54):
It's because he knows the monarchy requires that visible unity.
One rather suspects he'd prefer certain absent members would remember
that as well. As this very busy news cycle continues,
we wanted to catch up on the German state visit.
One of the highlights was King Charles hosting a grand
state banquet at Windsor Castle, as is customary for such occasions.
(02:16):
The evening featured a specially commissioned menu, presented in French
that nodded to German flavors while showcasing British ingredients. Guests
began with a warm tartlet of smoked trout, alongside Lanngustine's
quail eggs and a delicate shellfish sauce. The main course
was windsor partridge prepared in pastry, served with confe cabbage,
(02:38):
crushed carrots with swede an assortment of winter vegetables, finished
with a bridge port sauce. Dessert took the form of
the baked Alaska, combining BlackBerry vanilla and raspberry ice creams.
Coffee and petty fours followed. In keeping with a newer
royal tradition, A bespoke cocktail was also created for the occasion,
inspired by black Forest gatteaux. The wine selection included Chateau
(03:00):
Lafleur Petris Pomeol nineteen ninety five, chosen to mark the
year of the President and First Ladies wedding. The choices
represented a notable departure from the banquet held for President
Donald Trump in September, when the menu began with Hampshire
watercriss panicotta with a Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad,
followed by organic Norfolk chicken wrapt in curquetes with a
(03:22):
time and save Jeu. That evening concluded with vanilla ice
cream bomb with Kentish raspberry sorbean lightly poached Victoria plums.
This week's German visit formerly began when the Prince and
Princess of Wales welcomed President Steinmeyer and Miss bunden Bender
on their arrival at Heathrow. The party then traveled to
Windsor in a ceremonial procession, with the King and Queen
(03:44):
greeted along the route by crowds and flanked by personnel
from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal
Air Force. Streets were lined with both British and German flags.
Upon arriving at the quadrangle at Windsor Castle, the German
President inspected a guard of honour with His Majesty. The
band performed March des yoshin Corpse by Beethoven. This has
(04:05):
been the first German state visit to the United Kingdom
in twenty seven years, and only the fifth since nineteen
fifty eight. It also marked the third incoming state visit
for the King this year, following those of French President
Emmanuel Macron in July and President Donald Trump in September.
The star of the show, as usual was Kate. For
the white tied dinner, Princess Catherine appeared in a full
(04:28):
length ball gown and tiara. Ahead of the banquet, the
Prince and Princess of Wales shared a preview of their
evening attire on social media, standing in front of a
Christmas tree for a festive photograph. They wrote on Instagram,
looking forward to a special banquet tonight in Windsor. The
banquet marked Catherine's third state dinner of the year. In July,
(04:48):
she attended the French President Emanuel Macron, wearing the lover
was not tiara and a red gown with cape style
detailing by Sarah Burton. For Givon, she completed with an
evening club which embroidered with Lily of the Valley. In September,
at the state banquet for US President Donald Trump, she
chose a Philippa Lepley full length hand embroidered gold lace
(05:10):
coat over a silk crape gown. The coat embellished with
roses in couched gold corning French knots and sat and
stitched broooms. On the second day of the German state visit,
King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the President and his
wife at Windsor Castle for a lighter, more informal engagement,
which culminated in an unexpected game of giant snakes and ladders.
(05:33):
After spending the night at the castle, following the state banquet,
the German President and First Lady joined the King and
Queen to meet staff and volunteers from organizations working in
areas of shared interest including food waste, the environment, youth initiatives,
health and employee volunteering, and heritage. Before the event, the
visitors had privately laid a wreath at the tomb of
Queen Elizabeth II in Saint George's Chapel, a gesture that
(05:56):
has now become customary during state visits. In the Inner Hall,
the royal party were greeted by a pair of guide
dog puppies and showing a Victorian sleigh originally designed by
Prince Albert for Queen Victoria and used family outings. Representatives
from one of the charities, Citizen Hub, then invited both
royal couples to take part in oversized game of snakes
(06:19):
and ladders, using a large foam dice and answering a
question linked to whatever square they landed on. When the
Queen was asked to describe a time she had helped someone,
she reflected on her long running work on domestic abuse.
She replied them she hoped she had helped victims through
her campaigning, adding I hope I have several times. The
(06:39):
King meanwhile, chose not to respond to a question about
a challenge he had faced and how he might have
handled it differently, gesturing instead towards the assembled media and
tactfully declining to answer. One wonders what his candid answer
might be. At one stage, with the room crowded and bustling,
the King and Queen unexpectedly found themselves face to face
(07:00):
from opposite sides of the hall and burst out laughing
at the cheerful indoor chaos. The Victorian sleigh, its vivid
red upholstery fully restored, proved a particular talking point. It
had been brought into the Inner Hall for the duration
of the visit to protect it from weather. Miss Bundenbender
exclaimed wow on seeing it and running a hand along
(07:20):
the fabric. As the party were told about its history
and how it functioned. The sleigh was originally used by
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who drove it himself across
the South Downs, and had appeared in a drawing showing
the couple and their children riding in the snow near Brighton.
Over time, it has also been used at Sandringham and Windsor.
Was restored by the Royal Mews in nineteen eighty nine,
(07:42):
displayed publicly for two decades, and later placed in storage
at the Windsor Coach House. It is not believed to
have carried a member of the royal family since the
Victorian era, though the late Queen Elizabeth I viewed it
while it was on display. It is one of five
slaves in the Royal collection. The King, Queen, President and
First Lady posed with a reproduction of the drawing of
(08:04):
Albert driving his family in the sleigh, while simultaneously studying
the real vehicle in front of them and chatting warmly
about the details. As the visit drew to a close,
President Steinmeyer offered an effusive farewell, thanking the King in
detail for the hospitality at Windsor. You were so generous
inviting us the staying of the night. He said, we
(08:24):
had a good breakfast and wonderful banquet yesterday. His wife added,
it was really so wonderful, unbelievable. We will never forget it,
said the President. As the Queen and Miss bunden Bender
said their goodbyes and exchanged kisses, the first Lady told
her it was so wonderful all the best. Camilla replied,
hopefully see you again before too long. Really lovely to
(08:45):
see you again. The Queen also told the President, I
hope we'll meet again. As he walked towards his car.
The President turned back to his host and called out
Happy Christmas. More palacing just a moment, the Standard was
fascinated by the color blue. The Queen and Princess of
(09:05):
Wales appeared in coordinated blue outfits as they welcomed the
German president, a choice that quietly breaks long standing royal
clothing protocol. Traditionally, senior royal women avoid wearing the same
colour at major engagements, a guideline highlighted by Megan Markele
in her Netflix series when she said she rarely wore
color to avoid clashing with more senior members. Despite that convention,
(09:27):
both Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales stepped out
in blue, the Princess in bespoke Alexander, the Queen coat
dressed with sapphire jewelry once worn by Princess Diana, and
the Queen in an electric blue Anna Valentine coat paired
with a Philip Treacy hat. According to reports, the rule
around colour has been relaxed for blue, specifically, Queen Camilla's
(09:49):
fondness for the shade, combined with the fact that she
now chooses her outfit first, reportedly made it increasingly difficult
for stylists to avoid clashes with the Princess of Wales
and the Dutch of Edinburgh, who also favored blue. The
new approach allows senior royal women to wear blue at
the same event, provided each chooses a different shade. We'll
(10:09):
be back in the morning with the rest of the
top twenty five Royals stories of twenty twenty five. It's
a busy weekend and will jump in if there is
any more breaking news, which there seems to be once
an hour this week. Then there you have it. I'd
like to email us who addresses the Palace Intrigue at
a gmail dot com. Please follow us on all your
favorite apps and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Come
(10:29):
say hi, I'm Mark Francis My thanks to John McDermott.
This is palace intrigue in good terms.
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