December 10, 2025 • 10 mins
The Thomas Markle saga takes another surreal turn as The Royalist reveals claims that someone on Meghan’s team suspected his leg amputation might be a hoax — a charge Thomas’s friends call “disgraceful.” Meanwhile, commentator Melanie McDonagh unleashes a blistering broadside, accusing Meghan of abandoning her father in his hour of need and comparing her behavior to King Lear’s most heartless daughters. Elsewhere, Prince Harry reportedly courts Jennifer Lopez for an Invictus Games cameo, while biographer Andrew Lownie suggests even the King and Princess of Wales’ health woes may be worsened by the strain caused by the monarchy’s “spares.” And over at Sandringham, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor digs in with an eyebrow-raising list of demands, sparking new scrutiny of royal housing perks and who pays what.
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!
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 (00:00):
Ah Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Pallace Intrigue Game,
your host, Mark Francis. The Thomas Markel storyline continues to
be weird, The Royalist writes. One of Meghan's team appears
to have briefed The London Times that they thought the
(00:23):
leg amputation might have been a hoax. The Times reported
on Friday that a spokesperson had told them Meghan had
instructed AIDS to find out if her father is unwell.
Meghan's office subsequently denied any such order had been given.
Thomas's friends have reacted with outrage. Lady Colin Campbell, the
friend of Mircale Senior, told The Royalist it was disgraceful
(00:46):
for Meghan's team to accuse Thomas of inventing health problems
to victimize Meghan, adding when he hops out of the hospital,
well she say his foot is strapped up behind him.
In The Standard, Melanie macdonnaugh writes, the normal of a
child of any age when a parent has taken ill
and may let's say it die, is to rush to
the bedside, no matter where in the world that bedside
(01:09):
may be. That's what normal people do. She has never
allowed him to see his grandchildren Archie six and Lily,
for which he says he wants to, and to his
eternal shame, Prince Harry has never insisted that they should.
She has, in fact maintained her record to date as
a callous daughter, the kind who, if she ever sat
through King Lear, might feel a bad squeak of recognition
(01:31):
at the conduct of Goneril and Reagan. Her ruthlessness in
discarding a parent who had made the mistake of voicing
criticism of her after her cooking show he said she
was not authentic and who may not quite look the
part she has framed for herself, tells you everything you
need to know about her. There probably isn't anyone who
sat through her dire Netflix series on The Perfect Christmas
(01:54):
with the hokum about it being all about the company
of those you love without feeling a sense of how
to put it incongruity given the mismatch between the beautiful
sentiments and actual conduct of the fragrant heroine. If Thomas
Michael had been an abusive parent, Meghan's failure of duty
might be comprehensible, but he wasn't. In all of Tom
Dower's mesmerizing biography of Megan, there wasn't any hint of
(02:16):
cruelty or unkindness. Rather, he was the means by which
she established herself on the route to her glittering apotheosis
as the star of suits. He looks after her, and
if he is now frail and old and not looking
as felt as she might like, it's all the more
reason to rally round to what might be his deathbed
Death cancels out of the nonsense. If your father is
(02:37):
in danger of death, a normal daughter would forgive any
slights or resentments and be there to ease his passage
to the next world. It would not be too late
to bring his grandchildren to meet him. The young noticed
the conduct of their parents. If she so obviously lacks
any sense of duty to her father, she can't hope
that her own children will be any better when her
time comes. It's not too late yet to remedy matter
(03:00):
by making for his bedside and making him happy. If
nothing else, it would make her look good, and that's
what she likes, isn't it. Princeterry is said to be
exploring the possibility of securing Jennifer Lopez for a future
Invictus Games engagement. The Duke of Sussex, who established the
Invictus Games in twenty fourteen, is a recovery pathway for
international wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, is reportedly
(03:23):
reaching out to several well known figures in the hope
of strengthening the event's profile. According to one source of
Harry can Land, low Pears to make an appearance at
an Invictus event, it would be phenomenal for the charity
and the thrill for him too. He's reaching out to
everyone that he's got a connection to. It's not just
low Peirs that he's trying to lure in, but no
doubt she's the most thrilling prospect for him because he's
(03:45):
very star struck by her. The magazine report also noted
that Harry is very competitive and that witnessing his brother,
Prince William rule in all these big names for his
charity has lit a fire under him. Star Magazine previously
reported that Harry Meghan joined Lopez and her then fiance
Alex Rodriguez on a double date in early twenty twenty.
(04:08):
If you're wondering what else we can blame Harry for,
some suggest he's responsible for cancer specifically that of Charles
and Kate. Speaking to News Nation, biographer Andrew Lowney said
there are arguments that some of these illnesses are being
brought on by the problems of the so called spares.
He went on to warn that the institution could face
a deeper challenge should the Princess of Wales be unable
(04:30):
to carry out her public role. I do think there
will be a real crisis if something happens to Kate
and she's incapacitated. She is the linchpin on which the
whole future of the monarchy depends. Moving on to titles,
he said, I think now that we've seen the royal
titles can be struck out in an afternoon. I think
we're going to see a lot of titles go if
you're not a working royal, or you're not the direct
(04:52):
line of succession. He added that the whole reputation of
the monarchy has been sullied both by Harry and by Andrew,
and that's the inheritance that he's going to have to
deal with. More Palacing just a moment. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor
is said to be making a series of astonishing requests
before relocating to a property on Sandringham Estate following his
(05:16):
removal from Royal Lodge in Windsor. Reports now suggest the
transition has being delayed due to what have been described
as unreasonable demands over his new accommodation. According to these claims,
Andrew is reeling off demands and ultimatums, prompting what has
been characterized as a fresh feud between him and the King.
Among the requests are said to his substantial six or
seven bedroom house on the sandringhammert State, complete with staff
(05:39):
including cook garden, a housekeeper, driver in police security. A
source told the Daily Beasts royalists Andrew has done exactly
what has been asked of him. He just wants to
be left alone. He's giving up the lease on one
of England's finest houses and expects to be treated fairly.
A former courtier suggested that financial considerations were always likely
to dominate negotiation, saying Andrew is essentially being bought out
(06:02):
of the lease, so he will haggle over every last
detail of the deal. Andrew's difficulties continue to cast a
long shadow over the Royal family, with renewed scrutiny now
falling on the homes occupied by Senior and Extended Royals.
His peppercorn rent arrangement at Royal Lodge and the subsequent
surrender of his lease has highlighted how certain family members
(06:25):
reside in Crown Estate properties at substantially reduced rates. The
Crown Estate, which manages assets held in the right of
the Crown and returns its profits to the Treasury in
exchange for the sovereign Grant, is believed to hold hundreds
of properties. Royal biographer Ingrid Sewards said, the Crown Estate
contains a huge number of properties, but most of us
haven't been aware of what exactly is out there, and
(06:48):
until now few of us have cared to ask. Now
that has changed, which means Andrew has opened the door
to a lot of problems for his family and the
way they live. Attention is also turned to bag Shot Park,
the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's one hundred and twenty
room mansion in Surrey. The couple renewed their lease in
two thousand and seven with a one off payment of
(07:09):
five million pounds. Calculations suggest that, depending on how long
they remain, the effective annual costs could fall well below
market value. Former Home Office Minister Norman Baker argued that
any failure to maximize crown and state income represents less
money for the public purse, and so an indirect public
subsidy to rich members of the royal family. Sue defended
(07:31):
the edinburghs all they get is travel that they may
not even want, in some money for clothes when they
do go abroad, and then this hugely reduced rental. The
trouble with Royal Lodge was that Andrew was doing bugger all,
so it felt wrong. But in my opinion, Sophie and
Edward add a lot to this country and don't deserve
the criticism. Another property drawing comment is thatched House Lodge,
(07:52):
where eighty eight year old Princess Alexandra pays two hundred
and twenty five pounds a month. Royal correspondent Robert Jobson
noted her decades of royal service, she did a lot
of work for the family and is now old and
frail and not very well. And you can't go in
and suddenly put the rent up. But when she dies,
that would be the time to put it on at
market prices. And that should be true. Even if another
(08:13):
member of the family moves in, they need to pay
a commercial rate, some royals already do. King Charles pays
the Duchy of Cornwall a six figure son to lease
Highgrove from Prince William. William also pays a market rent
for Forest Lodge, though he is unlikely to pay commercial
rates for his Kensington Palace apartment. Several other family members,
including the Gloucesters, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess
(08:35):
Michael of Kent, and Princess Eugenie, are based in the
accommodation on the Kensington estate at Saint James Pallace. Princess Anne,
Princess Beatrice, Princess Alexander all occupies substantial apartments, with Beatrice's
flat said to include a ballroom. Jobson noted that Andrew
had at one point allegedly covered the London rent for
his daughters, though this is thought to have stopped. Sue
(08:58):
would argue that renting these properties can Rushley would create
greater burdens. If they weren't given to family, they would
be empty. In fact, putting them on the market would
be a burden to the taxpayer because of all the
police who would have to be around keeping tabs on everyone.
Jobson said, greater clarity is needed, particularly regarding non working royals.
(09:18):
I'm not questioning the right to have somewhere to live
in London, but we do have a right to know
what they are paying, particularly in the case of people
like Eugenian Beatrice who are not working Royals. Longer term
reform is expected to fall to the Prince of Wales.
When Charles first became king, he wanted to reevaluate how
it was all working, but I think the cancer stopped
him in his tracks. Jobson said he was hoping to
(09:41):
limit the number of people having access to Crown and
State properties, but I suspect all that will be left
to William. Jobson cautioned that Britain must consider what the
Crown and State is meant to be a commercial entity
or a vehicle supporting royal residences. If they're going to
run the Crown of State as a business, then they
could rent all of them these palaces out to oligarchs.
(10:01):
But that certainly wasn't the original purpose of it, so
it added. The criticism of royal living arrangements often reflects
wider national unease. There is a malaise in Britain at
the moment. People feel like it is too expensive to
live in this country, and at times like that they
tend to turn on the monarchy. But what they don't
realize is how hard some of them work and how
joyless much of their lives really are. The least we
(10:24):
can do is let them live somewhere lovely must be
rough and yeah, if you'd like to email as the
addresses the Palace intric at gmail dot com. Please follow
us on Spotify, Apple or on Facebook Instagram. Come by
and say hi. By Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott.
This is Palace Intrigue and good terms
Ah Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Pallace Intrigue Game,
your host, Mark Francis. The Thomas Markel storyline continues to
be weird, The Royalist writes. One of Meghan's team appears
to have briefed The London Times that they thought the
(00:23):
leg amputation might have been a hoax. The Times reported
on Friday that a spokesperson had told them Meghan had
instructed AIDS to find out if her father is unwell.
Meghan's office subsequently denied any such order had been given.
Thomas's friends have reacted with outrage. Lady Colin Campbell, the
friend of Mircale Senior, told The Royalist it was disgraceful
(00:46):
for Meghan's team to accuse Thomas of inventing health problems
to victimize Meghan, adding when he hops out of the hospital,
well she say his foot is strapped up behind him.
In The Standard, Melanie macdonnaugh writes, the normal of a
child of any age when a parent has taken ill
and may let's say it die, is to rush to
the bedside, no matter where in the world that bedside
(01:09):
may be. That's what normal people do. She has never
allowed him to see his grandchildren Archie six and Lily,
for which he says he wants to, and to his
eternal shame, Prince Harry has never insisted that they should.
She has, in fact maintained her record to date as
a callous daughter, the kind who, if she ever sat
through King Lear, might feel a bad squeak of recognition
(01:31):
at the conduct of Goneril and Reagan. Her ruthlessness in
discarding a parent who had made the mistake of voicing
criticism of her after her cooking show he said she
was not authentic and who may not quite look the
part she has framed for herself, tells you everything you
need to know about her. There probably isn't anyone who
sat through her dire Netflix series on The Perfect Christmas
(01:54):
with the hokum about it being all about the company
of those you love without feeling a sense of how
to put it incongruity given the mismatch between the beautiful
sentiments and actual conduct of the fragrant heroine. If Thomas
Michael had been an abusive parent, Meghan's failure of duty
might be comprehensible, but he wasn't. In all of Tom
Dower's mesmerizing biography of Megan, there wasn't any hint of
(02:16):
cruelty or unkindness. Rather, he was the means by which
she established herself on the route to her glittering apotheosis
as the star of suits. He looks after her, and
if he is now frail and old and not looking
as felt as she might like, it's all the more
reason to rally round to what might be his deathbed
Death cancels out of the nonsense. If your father is
(02:37):
in danger of death, a normal daughter would forgive any
slights or resentments and be there to ease his passage
to the next world. It would not be too late
to bring his grandchildren to meet him. The young noticed
the conduct of their parents. If she so obviously lacks
any sense of duty to her father, she can't hope
that her own children will be any better when her
time comes. It's not too late yet to remedy matter
(03:00):
by making for his bedside and making him happy. If
nothing else, it would make her look good, and that's
what she likes, isn't it. Princeterry is said to be
exploring the possibility of securing Jennifer Lopez for a future
Invictus Games engagement. The Duke of Sussex, who established the
Invictus Games in twenty fourteen, is a recovery pathway for
international wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, is reportedly
(03:23):
reaching out to several well known figures in the hope
of strengthening the event's profile. According to one source of
Harry can Land, low Pears to make an appearance at
an Invictus event, it would be phenomenal for the charity
and the thrill for him too. He's reaching out to
everyone that he's got a connection to. It's not just
low Peirs that he's trying to lure in, but no
doubt she's the most thrilling prospect for him because he's
(03:45):
very star struck by her. The magazine report also noted
that Harry is very competitive and that witnessing his brother,
Prince William rule in all these big names for his
charity has lit a fire under him. Star Magazine previously
reported that Harry Meghan joined Lopez and her then fiance
Alex Rodriguez on a double date in early twenty twenty.
(04:08):
If you're wondering what else we can blame Harry for,
some suggest he's responsible for cancer specifically that of Charles
and Kate. Speaking to News Nation, biographer Andrew Lowney said
there are arguments that some of these illnesses are being
brought on by the problems of the so called spares.
He went on to warn that the institution could face
a deeper challenge should the Princess of Wales be unable
(04:30):
to carry out her public role. I do think there
will be a real crisis if something happens to Kate
and she's incapacitated. She is the linchpin on which the
whole future of the monarchy depends. Moving on to titles,
he said, I think now that we've seen the royal
titles can be struck out in an afternoon. I think
we're going to see a lot of titles go if
you're not a working royal, or you're not the direct
(04:52):
line of succession. He added that the whole reputation of
the monarchy has been sullied both by Harry and by Andrew,
and that's the inheritance that he's going to have to
deal with. More Palacing just a moment. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor
is said to be making a series of astonishing requests
before relocating to a property on Sandringham Estate following his
(05:16):
removal from Royal Lodge in Windsor. Reports now suggest the
transition has being delayed due to what have been described
as unreasonable demands over his new accommodation. According to these claims,
Andrew is reeling off demands and ultimatums, prompting what has
been characterized as a fresh feud between him and the King.
Among the requests are said to his substantial six or
seven bedroom house on the sandringhammert State, complete with staff
(05:39):
including cook garden, a housekeeper, driver in police security. A
source told the Daily Beasts royalists Andrew has done exactly
what has been asked of him. He just wants to
be left alone. He's giving up the lease on one
of England's finest houses and expects to be treated fairly.
A former courtier suggested that financial considerations were always likely
to dominate negotiation, saying Andrew is essentially being bought out
(06:02):
of the lease, so he will haggle over every last
detail of the deal. Andrew's difficulties continue to cast a
long shadow over the Royal family, with renewed scrutiny now
falling on the homes occupied by Senior and Extended Royals.
His peppercorn rent arrangement at Royal Lodge and the subsequent
surrender of his lease has highlighted how certain family members
(06:25):
reside in Crown Estate properties at substantially reduced rates. The
Crown Estate, which manages assets held in the right of
the Crown and returns its profits to the Treasury in
exchange for the sovereign Grant, is believed to hold hundreds
of properties. Royal biographer Ingrid Sewards said, the Crown Estate
contains a huge number of properties, but most of us
haven't been aware of what exactly is out there, and
(06:48):
until now few of us have cared to ask. Now
that has changed, which means Andrew has opened the door
to a lot of problems for his family and the
way they live. Attention is also turned to bag Shot Park,
the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh's one hundred and twenty
room mansion in Surrey. The couple renewed their lease in
two thousand and seven with a one off payment of
(07:09):
five million pounds. Calculations suggest that, depending on how long
they remain, the effective annual costs could fall well below
market value. Former Home Office Minister Norman Baker argued that
any failure to maximize crown and state income represents less
money for the public purse, and so an indirect public
subsidy to rich members of the royal family. Sue defended
(07:31):
the edinburghs all they get is travel that they may
not even want, in some money for clothes when they
do go abroad, and then this hugely reduced rental. The
trouble with Royal Lodge was that Andrew was doing bugger all,
so it felt wrong. But in my opinion, Sophie and
Edward add a lot to this country and don't deserve
the criticism. Another property drawing comment is thatched House Lodge,
(07:52):
where eighty eight year old Princess Alexandra pays two hundred
and twenty five pounds a month. Royal correspondent Robert Jobson
noted her decades of royal service, she did a lot
of work for the family and is now old and
frail and not very well. And you can't go in
and suddenly put the rent up. But when she dies,
that would be the time to put it on at
market prices. And that should be true. Even if another
(08:13):
member of the family moves in, they need to pay
a commercial rate, some royals already do. King Charles pays
the Duchy of Cornwall a six figure son to lease
Highgrove from Prince William. William also pays a market rent
for Forest Lodge, though he is unlikely to pay commercial
rates for his Kensington Palace apartment. Several other family members,
including the Gloucesters, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess
(08:35):
Michael of Kent, and Princess Eugenie, are based in the
accommodation on the Kensington estate at Saint James Pallace. Princess Anne,
Princess Beatrice, Princess Alexander all occupies substantial apartments, with Beatrice's
flat said to include a ballroom. Jobson noted that Andrew
had at one point allegedly covered the London rent for
his daughters, though this is thought to have stopped. Sue
(08:58):
would argue that renting these properties can Rushley would create
greater burdens. If they weren't given to family, they would
be empty. In fact, putting them on the market would
be a burden to the taxpayer because of all the
police who would have to be around keeping tabs on everyone.
Jobson said, greater clarity is needed, particularly regarding non working royals.
(09:18):
I'm not questioning the right to have somewhere to live
in London, but we do have a right to know
what they are paying, particularly in the case of people
like Eugenian Beatrice who are not working Royals. Longer term
reform is expected to fall to the Prince of Wales.
When Charles first became king, he wanted to reevaluate how
it was all working, but I think the cancer stopped
him in his tracks. Jobson said he was hoping to
(09:41):
limit the number of people having access to Crown and
State properties, but I suspect all that will be left
to William. Jobson cautioned that Britain must consider what the
Crown and State is meant to be a commercial entity
or a vehicle supporting royal residences. If they're going to
run the Crown of State as a business, then they
could rent all of them these palaces out to oligarchs.
(10:01):
But that certainly wasn't the original purpose of it, so
it added. The criticism of royal living arrangements often reflects
wider national unease. There is a malaise in Britain at
the moment. People feel like it is too expensive to
live in this country, and at times like that they
tend to turn on the monarchy. But what they don't
realize is how hard some of them work and how
joyless much of their lives really are. The least we
(10:24):
can do is let them live somewhere lovely must be
rough and yeah, if you'd like to email as the
addresses the Palace intric at gmail dot com. Please follow
us on Spotify, Apple or on Facebook Instagram. Come by
and say hi. By Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott.
This is Palace Intrigue and good terms
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.