December 10, 2025 • 9 mins
Still more holiday heat for Meghan Markle as LA boutique Kitson names her a “villain of the year” in its annual “holiday hypocrisy” window — complete with a “Montecito diva” Santa hat. Reviewers continue to dismantle her Netflix Christmas special, with The Times calling it a masterclass in one-upmanship and The Royalist suggesting Netflix is quietly signaling it’s “done” with the Duchess. The show’s rare 0 percent Rotten Tomatoes score isn’t helping. Elsewhere, Princess Beatrice’s daughter Athena prepares for a christening that could bring an awkward reunion with Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, while Jack Osbourne reveals that royal naming rules prevented “Prince of Darkness” from appearing on Ozzy’s death certificate.If you’d like, I
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👑 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 All and welcome the Palace Entry Game,
your host, Mark Francis. Megan Markel has been labeled a
Villain of the Year by a Los Angeles boutique that
has also branded her a Montecito Diva. According to The
Daily Mail, the Duchess of Sussex appears in so called
(00:26):
Rogue's Gallery of Holiday Hypocrites and the Christmas window display
at Kitson, a high end department store on Robertson Boulevard
between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Kitson's Holiday Hypocrisy window display,
which began in twenty twenty, has become a familiar seasonal
feature in the city. This year, Meghan has been included
alongside California Governor Gavin Newsoon, George Clooney, and Katie Perry.
(00:49):
Her image appears on a mocked up magazine cover featuring
public figures and Santa hats, with the Duchess's hat emblazoned
with the words Montecito Diva. The display reference her Netflix
series and business ventures, with headlines claiming she and Prince
Harry were the most unpopular kids in school because they
are disliked by Americans. Another highlights that her as Ever
(01:11):
jam is made in a factory two thousand miles from
her home, while another claims she broke a no dog's
rule at Montecito Farmer's Market. There is also a nod
to a recent Harper's Bizarre feature describing how she was
introduced like royalty to a room containing a single person,
her decision to wear eighty two thousand dollars of jewelry,
and her Netflix holiday specialists also cited one headline alleges
(01:35):
she is a hypocrite because she won't let go of
her royal status. It is not the first time Kitson
has targeted the Royals. Following mexit, the shop encouraged customers
to choose sides in the family split, reviving its team
t shirt concept first popularized during the Jennifer Aniston and
Brad Pitt break up in two thousand and five. Kitson
(01:55):
offered Team Harry and Meghan and Team William and Kate
shirts priced at thirty eight dollars. Store owner Fraser Rostol
the Daily Mail. It started out with customers asking this
if we had anything related to the young Royals. They
would go on to say why they favored one couple
over the other. There were literally people arguing on the
floor with each other about it. I knew it was
time to bring back the infamous team shirts. We have
(02:17):
a large customer base, so it's a good barometer to
see who is more popular at the moment. The shirts
quickly became a talking point, with one woman reportedly buying
eight of each to allow party guests to choose their allegiance.
As of March, Ross said, the balance is clear. They're
out selling Meghan and Harry two to one, just like
Team Aniston shirts did double the sales of Team Joe Lee.
(02:40):
He explained, we got the shirts in shortly before Mexitt
was announced, so it was pretty equal at the beginning,
but post mexit it sent the Cambridge's surging way ahead
of the Sussexes. The review of Meghan's holiday special by
Hillary Rose and The Times is truly epic. Rose writes,
we learned that red is a fist of color, and
(03:01):
that if you don't like cheese or pepper, you might
not like a dish consisting of cheese and pepper. Being
a hostess in Montecito is as you'd expect, not so
much about topping up glasses but making people feel seen.
Is this because our hostess has basically never before seen
half the friends who appear on the show. The tennis
player Naomi Ohsaka is told that running around after one's
(03:23):
children is soul filling. She looks politely baffled. The point
of all this, I realize, isn't interest or enlightenment, let
alone entertainment. It's one upmanship. Osaka is sat down in
front of some china and told to paint it. She is,
I'm very good at it because she is a tennis player. Happily,
little miss Crafty herself Megan Duchess of Sussexes she never
(03:45):
ceases to call herself is Naomi looks down sadly at
her crappy plate and nods. A chef is invited on
the show to share his traditional Christmas family recipes. These
unfortunately included beetroot salad. Beetroot being incompatible with Megan's cash
me in neutrals instead, she observes proceedings from a safe
distance and chuckling says the salad has all the things
(04:06):
her husband hates most, literally all of them. She searches
for a compliment herself, but can only come up with
festive it's just so wild, she adds, by way of consolation,
to think about preserving techniques. Harry himself then makes an
appearance to confirm that yes, he really would hate it.
The chef stands there, looking either deflated or seen, depending
(04:27):
on whether you're Megan. Count Tom Sykes among those who
think the inclusion of Guy the Beagle shows that Netflix
is done with Megan. In the Royalist Sykes rights, the
message is we are done, and the medium is a
passing shot of her elderly beagle, Guy padding mournfully through
the frame like a ghost of contracts passed. Guy you
see died last year. This means that this holiday special,
(04:48):
which has been touted by Megan as evidence of her
strong and productive ongoing relationship with Netflix, was filmed at
the same time as series one, long before the couple
were brutally released from their Megabucks contract in favor of
a first refusal clause. Meghan, for example, insists that a
Christmas tree is an opportunity to honor one's family history,
seeming to have forgotten that she has spent years erasing
(05:10):
half of hers while urging her husband to amputate all
of his. The dog does nothing for the narrative. It
adds no warmth, no insight, no purpose. Any editor could
have lifted it out in seconds. That they did not
is the real revelation. It is Netflix's way of saying
this content tap has run dry. In the show's dying minutes,
Harry arrives, Meghan turns to him and says, with baffling formality,
(05:34):
thanks for coming. It is the kind of thing you
say to a neighbor who popped by for ten minutes,
not to a husband who lives in the house. It
lands like a freudiant slip, a moment in which the
performance forgets itself and the audience glimpses the shaky scaffolding underneath.
The relationship looks staged, almost as if they are guest
stars in each other's lives, united by mutual branding obligations
(05:55):
rather than shared domestic instinct. With Love Meghan has opened
to a rare zero percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The
score is based on five published critics reviews, and the
reception has been notably unflattering. Assessments ranged from comparisons to
Stepford Wives to suggest Assessments ranged from comparisons to Stepford
(06:17):
Wives to suggestions that the program felt a little bit sad,
with others describing the specialist carrying manic energy. Audiences were
similarly unimpressed, awarding the series just thirteen percent among more
than one hundred posted ratings. Some viewers dismissed the program
as boring, while others simply branded it very inauthentic more Pallas.
(06:40):
In just a moment, we received a new review. It's
like tea time I must every day. I look forward
to hearing the show every day, A much needed and
welcome break from the crazy world we live in. Thank
you Mark for keeping me informed on what really matters.
(07:01):
Five stars. No name attached, but thank you very much
for the review, and we really appreciate your nice reviews
of the show. Princess Beatrice's infant daughter, Athena, is expected
to be christened on Friday, and reports suggest the occasion
may bring an uncomfortable reunion within the wider royal family.
According to The Daily Mail, Beatrice has invited both her parents,
(07:23):
the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, to attend the
ceremony at the Chapel Royal at Saint James ballas it
would mark their first appearance at a family event since
the King removed Andrew's royal titles and honors, The prospect
of seeing Andrew at such a gathering has prompted concern
among some relatives and courtiers. One source was quoted as saying,
(07:44):
it's going to be a royal occasion, but everyone is
dreading the thought of seeing Andrew there. Although Friday's christening
is expected to be private, it will nonetheless place Andrew
and Sarah alongside members of the royal family for the
first time since the Duchess of Kent's funeral in September.
Another source suggested the moments may carry added weight, noting
it could be possibly the last time he steps foot
(08:05):
in Saint James Chapel. King Charles is understood to have
been invited, but is not expected to be present. The
Prince and Princess of Wales are likewise not anticipated to attend.
Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack has revealed that a strict royal
family naming rule prevented him from including his father's famous
nickname on the late musician's death certificate. Jack explained on
(08:28):
his Trying Not to Die podcasts that while completing the paperwork,
he and his sister Kelly initially listed Ozzy's occupation as
rock Legend, songwriter and performer. Jack then asked whether he
could add rock God, but the registrar declined. He next
suggested Ozzie's well known moniker Prince of Darkness, but this
was also rejected because the word prince is reserved for
(08:51):
members of the royal family and cannot be used as
a title on official documents. Jack said he ultimately settled
on rock Legend, which he felt was an appropriate reflection
of his father's career. And there you have it. If
you'd like to email us addresses the palasintrigu at gmail
dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple or the
apple of your choice and leave us a nice review.
(09:11):
We really appreciate them and Mark Francis my thanks to
John McDermott. This is Palace Intriguing good turns.
Calorogus Shark Media All and welcome the Palace Entry Game,
your host, Mark Francis. Megan Markel has been labeled a
Villain of the Year by a Los Angeles boutique that
has also branded her a Montecito Diva. According to The
Daily Mail, the Duchess of Sussex appears in so called
(00:26):
Rogue's Gallery of Holiday Hypocrites and the Christmas window display
at Kitson, a high end department store on Robertson Boulevard
between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Kitson's Holiday Hypocrisy window display,
which began in twenty twenty, has become a familiar seasonal
feature in the city. This year, Meghan has been included
alongside California Governor Gavin Newsoon, George Clooney, and Katie Perry.
(00:49):
Her image appears on a mocked up magazine cover featuring
public figures and Santa hats, with the Duchess's hat emblazoned
with the words Montecito Diva. The display reference her Netflix
series and business ventures, with headlines claiming she and Prince
Harry were the most unpopular kids in school because they
are disliked by Americans. Another highlights that her as Ever
(01:11):
jam is made in a factory two thousand miles from
her home, while another claims she broke a no dog's
rule at Montecito Farmer's Market. There is also a nod
to a recent Harper's Bizarre feature describing how she was
introduced like royalty to a room containing a single person,
her decision to wear eighty two thousand dollars of jewelry,
and her Netflix holiday specialists also cited one headline alleges
(01:35):
she is a hypocrite because she won't let go of
her royal status. It is not the first time Kitson
has targeted the Royals. Following mexit, the shop encouraged customers
to choose sides in the family split, reviving its team
t shirt concept first popularized during the Jennifer Aniston and
Brad Pitt break up in two thousand and five. Kitson
(01:55):
offered Team Harry and Meghan and Team William and Kate
shirts priced at thirty eight dollars. Store owner Fraser Rostol
the Daily Mail. It started out with customers asking this
if we had anything related to the young Royals. They
would go on to say why they favored one couple
over the other. There were literally people arguing on the
floor with each other about it. I knew it was
time to bring back the infamous team shirts. We have
(02:17):
a large customer base, so it's a good barometer to
see who is more popular at the moment. The shirts
quickly became a talking point, with one woman reportedly buying
eight of each to allow party guests to choose their allegiance.
As of March, Ross said, the balance is clear. They're
out selling Meghan and Harry two to one, just like
Team Aniston shirts did double the sales of Team Joe Lee.
(02:40):
He explained, we got the shirts in shortly before Mexitt
was announced, so it was pretty equal at the beginning,
but post mexit it sent the Cambridge's surging way ahead
of the Sussexes. The review of Meghan's holiday special by
Hillary Rose and The Times is truly epic. Rose writes,
we learned that red is a fist of color, and
(03:01):
that if you don't like cheese or pepper, you might
not like a dish consisting of cheese and pepper. Being
a hostess in Montecito is as you'd expect, not so
much about topping up glasses but making people feel seen.
Is this because our hostess has basically never before seen
half the friends who appear on the show. The tennis
player Naomi Ohsaka is told that running around after one's
(03:23):
children is soul filling. She looks politely baffled. The point
of all this, I realize, isn't interest or enlightenment, let
alone entertainment. It's one upmanship. Osaka is sat down in
front of some china and told to paint it. She is,
I'm very good at it because she is a tennis player. Happily,
little miss Crafty herself Megan Duchess of Sussexes she never
(03:45):
ceases to call herself is Naomi looks down sadly at
her crappy plate and nods. A chef is invited on
the show to share his traditional Christmas family recipes. These
unfortunately included beetroot salad. Beetroot being incompatible with Megan's cash
me in neutrals instead, she observes proceedings from a safe
distance and chuckling says the salad has all the things
(04:06):
her husband hates most, literally all of them. She searches
for a compliment herself, but can only come up with
festive it's just so wild, she adds, by way of consolation,
to think about preserving techniques. Harry himself then makes an
appearance to confirm that yes, he really would hate it.
The chef stands there, looking either deflated or seen, depending
(04:27):
on whether you're Megan. Count Tom Sykes among those who
think the inclusion of Guy the Beagle shows that Netflix
is done with Megan. In the Royalist Sykes rights, the
message is we are done, and the medium is a
passing shot of her elderly beagle, Guy padding mournfully through
the frame like a ghost of contracts passed. Guy you
see died last year. This means that this holiday special,
(04:48):
which has been touted by Megan as evidence of her
strong and productive ongoing relationship with Netflix, was filmed at
the same time as series one, long before the couple
were brutally released from their Megabucks contract in favor of
a first refusal clause. Meghan, for example, insists that a
Christmas tree is an opportunity to honor one's family history,
seeming to have forgotten that she has spent years erasing
(05:10):
half of hers while urging her husband to amputate all
of his. The dog does nothing for the narrative. It
adds no warmth, no insight, no purpose. Any editor could
have lifted it out in seconds. That they did not
is the real revelation. It is Netflix's way of saying
this content tap has run dry. In the show's dying minutes,
Harry arrives, Meghan turns to him and says, with baffling formality,
(05:34):
thanks for coming. It is the kind of thing you
say to a neighbor who popped by for ten minutes,
not to a husband who lives in the house. It
lands like a freudiant slip, a moment in which the
performance forgets itself and the audience glimpses the shaky scaffolding underneath.
The relationship looks staged, almost as if they are guest
stars in each other's lives, united by mutual branding obligations
(05:55):
rather than shared domestic instinct. With Love Meghan has opened
to a rare zero percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The
score is based on five published critics reviews, and the
reception has been notably unflattering. Assessments ranged from comparisons to
Stepford Wives to suggest Assessments ranged from comparisons to Stepford
(06:17):
Wives to suggestions that the program felt a little bit sad,
with others describing the specialist carrying manic energy. Audiences were
similarly unimpressed, awarding the series just thirteen percent among more
than one hundred posted ratings. Some viewers dismissed the program
as boring, while others simply branded it very inauthentic more Pallas.
(06:40):
In just a moment, we received a new review. It's
like tea time I must every day. I look forward
to hearing the show every day, A much needed and
welcome break from the crazy world we live in. Thank
you Mark for keeping me informed on what really matters.
(07:01):
Five stars. No name attached, but thank you very much
for the review, and we really appreciate your nice reviews
of the show. Princess Beatrice's infant daughter, Athena, is expected
to be christened on Friday, and reports suggest the occasion
may bring an uncomfortable reunion within the wider royal family.
According to The Daily Mail, Beatrice has invited both her parents,
(07:23):
the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, to attend the
ceremony at the Chapel Royal at Saint James ballas it
would mark their first appearance at a family event since
the King removed Andrew's royal titles and honors, The prospect
of seeing Andrew at such a gathering has prompted concern
among some relatives and courtiers. One source was quoted as saying,
(07:44):
it's going to be a royal occasion, but everyone is
dreading the thought of seeing Andrew there. Although Friday's christening
is expected to be private, it will nonetheless place Andrew
and Sarah alongside members of the royal family for the
first time since the Duchess of Kent's funeral in September.
Another source suggested the moments may carry added weight, noting
it could be possibly the last time he steps foot
(08:05):
in Saint James Chapel. King Charles is understood to have
been invited, but is not expected to be present. The
Prince and Princess of Wales are likewise not anticipated to attend.
Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack has revealed that a strict royal
family naming rule prevented him from including his father's famous
nickname on the late musician's death certificate. Jack explained on
(08:28):
his Trying Not to Die podcasts that while completing the paperwork,
he and his sister Kelly initially listed Ozzy's occupation as
rock Legend, songwriter and performer. Jack then asked whether he
could add rock God, but the registrar declined. He next
suggested Ozzie's well known moniker Prince of Darkness, but this
was also rejected because the word prince is reserved for
(08:51):
members of the royal family and cannot be used as
a title on official documents. Jack said he ultimately settled
on rock Legend, which he felt was an appropriate reflection
of his father's career. And there you have it. If
you'd like to email us addresses the palasintrigu at gmail
dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple or the
apple of your choice and leave us a nice review.
(09:11):
We really appreciate them and Mark Francis my thanks to
John McDermott. This is Palace Intriguing good turns.
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