December 8, 2025 • 11 mins
Meghan Markle’s outreach to her father turned into a weekend of whiplash after her team first dismissed reports as “a complete fabrication,” then later confirmed she had contacted Thomas Markle following news of his emergency surgery. Samantha Markle weighed in from the sidelines, urging the Sussexes to step up with real support, while a Parade profile reminded the world the couple’s estimated worth sits around $60 million.
Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales delivered the holiday moment of the season with her fifth annual Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey. Catherine greeted performers including Kate Winslet and Eugene Levy, welcomed William and the children in coordinating navy and black, and presided over an evening celebrating kindness and community.
Deep Crown explains why Charles’ absence wasn’t a snub but a strategic choice to let Catherine’s signature event shine, even as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie sent supportive words from afar. With musical performances, young talent from Future Talent charity, and hot chocolate waiting at the Abbey doors, the night belonged to the Wales family — a calm, candlelit contrast to Montecito’s headline swirl.
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 Princess of Wales delivered the holiday moment of the season with her fifth annual Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey. Catherine greeted performers including Kate Winslet and Eugene Levy, welcomed William and the children in coordinating navy and black, and presided over an evening celebrating kindness and community.
Deep Crown explains why Charles’ absence wasn’t a snub but a strategic choice to let Catherine’s signature event shine, even as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie sent supportive words from afar. With musical performances, young talent from Future Talent charity, and hot chocolate waiting at the Abbey doors, the night belonged to the Wales family — a calm, candlelit contrast to Montecito’s headline swirl.
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 Intrigue Game,
your host, Mark Francis. Meghan Michael has reached out to
her father, Thomas Markel, after reports that he has undergone
emergency surgery to amputator his left leg. The Duchess of
Sussex's spokesperson confirmed the development, saying I can confirm she
(00:26):
has reached out to her father. This being Megan, of course,
his story got weirder the Express Rights. Meghan's representatives denied
the claims on Friday evening, issuing a rare statement. They
told The Daily Express, this is a complete fabrication. No
aids have been instructed to reach out. Later in the night,
her spokesperson issued a new statement which said I can
(00:46):
confirm she has reached out to her father. Very strange.
Samantha Michael has tweeted, while talk is cheap, so you
can believe it if she and Harry put that on
a private jet and into the best medical care in
the United States. Until then, it's just pr when he
hills a little bit, he should be on a plane
into one of the best hospitals in the United States.
(01:08):
Let's see Harry and Meg step up to the plate.
An article in Parade magazine from August twenty twenty five
speculated Harry and Meghan are worth sixty million dollars. We'll
talk more about Meghan later, but let us not ignore
the Princess of Wales, who hosted her fifth annual Together
at Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey, with more than
sixteen hundred guests gathering for an evening built around the
(01:30):
themes of kindness, community and compassion. Catherine arrived ahead of
a family greeting performers and readers, including Cape Winsley, Joe
Locke and chiwattel Agear. Four moments later, she stepped back
outside to welcome the Prince of Wales and their children,
Prince George, Princess Arlotte and Prince Louis, who were dressed
in coordinating navy and black. Inside the abbey, the Princess
(01:51):
shared a light exchange with Eugene Levy, referring to the
Canadian actors recent meeting with Prince William. Levy said lovely
to meet you, prompting Catherine reply you know my husband
very well now, to which he answered I had a
lovely day with your husband. Although many senior royals attended.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were absent due to prior commitments,
(02:12):
and neither the King nor Queen Camilla were present. Their
absence raised some eyebrows, leading to quick speculation about Charles's health,
but royal watchers point out that Charles has never attended
since becoming king. Our Royal inside at Deep Crown explains
when their majesties attended in twenty twenty two, it was
an act of filial devotion honoring Elizabeth in her final
(02:35):
year that was entirely appropriate, as it should have been.
Since then, Charles has made a rather astute decision to
step back from this particular engagement. You must grasp that
monarchy functions best when responsibilities are delegated with clarity. This
Carol service has become Catherine's signature, initiative, her platform, if
(02:56):
you will, and the King recognizes that his presence would
inevitably overshadow hers. It's not about absence, it's about institutional intelligence.
William and Catherine are positioned as the future, and Charles
understands that the Crown must cultivate the next generation's relevance
by allowing them to serve as These senior royals at
this event. He's doing precisely what a wise sovereign should,
(03:19):
letting his heir and his wife build their own base
of public affection while he maintains appropriate distance. Princess Eugenie
issued a statement saying, wish B and I could have
been celebrating tonight without family. Wishing the Princess of Wales
such a special evening at her incredible Carol service. What
an amazing message of love and hope. Of course their
(03:40):
attendants could have been all sorts of distract in giving
the Andrew news cycle. Also absent was Hannah Waddingham. The
actress was due to sing in The Bleak Midwinter, but
has been forced to cancel. The stated reason was her
voice was strained by an intensive filming schedule for the occasion.
Princess Catherine wore a Katherine Walker coat with a Troy
(04:02):
Fur trimmed collar, paired with a Robinson Pelham sar stud
star drop earrings, previously seeing that the top gun Maverick premiere.
The service itself blended traditional carols, poetry and musical performances.
Prince William delivered a Bible reading from the pulpit while
Cape Winslet and Chiwateel Edgy of four read during the program.
(04:23):
The abbey decorated with Christmas trees and a central Nativity
display was filled with candlelight as guests took their seats.
Ahead of the concert, guests were entertained by young musicians
supported by Future Talent, the charity co founded by the
late Duchess of Kent to widen access to music education.
Eighteen year old trumpeter Kris Wood, now at the Royal
(04:45):
Academy of Music, said it was awesome to take part,
while her sister Eliza, aged thirteen, added I never thought
I'd be able to play there in front of so
many important people. A performance by the Cornish group Fishermen's
Friends took place the Nativity scene, followed by contributions from
Katie Mellure singing White Christmas, Dan Smith with Oh Holy Night,
(05:07):
zach Abel performing Silent Night, and the Westminster Abbey Choristers
leading Hark the Herald Angels sing. The audience included carers,
charity representatives, young award winners such as nine year old
Sophia Turner and d DA veteran Jack Mortimer aged one
hundred and two. As guests departed into the December chill
(05:29):
hot chocolate was offered outside the abbey. No word yet
about the secret after party. The service will be broadcast
on ATV one on Christmas Eve. More palacing just a moment.
In The Express, Carol Malone writes, Megan Michael is in
a bit of a bind. She's been relentlessly flogging her
(05:51):
Netflix Christmas special, in which he talks about the importance
of family at Christmas. She waxes lyrical about how magical
it all is for the kids, and how how determined
she is to make it special for Archie and Lillabet
with handmade crackers and personalized advent calendars. She rambles on
endlessly about warmth and love and friendship and family. And
while we're all watching this fantastical nonsense, her estranged father,
(06:14):
Thomas Mirkle, is desperately ill in a hospital in the
Philippines where there's a real danger he might die. Thomas's
latest health blow couldn't have come at a worse time
for Megan, because she needs her warm and cozy Christmas
special to work, as this second series of With Love
Megan didn't even make Netflix's Top ten shows. And if
(06:36):
she doesn't go and see her dad and he dies.
It will make everything she's ever said about love and
family look like a big fat lie. How can she
continue to make a career based on love and compassion
when she hasn't shown a jot of either to her
poor dad? But more important than her career, Megan will
come to learn that people who refuse to let go
(06:56):
of anger or grudges, who cut family out of their lives,
who are unable to show forgiveness or understanding, will in
the end pay a bigger price than the person they're
trying to punish, because that sort of vengefulness eats away
at the soul, It damages hearts and minds, and poisons
how you treat everyone around you. Similarly, Hanisha Sethi in
(07:17):
the Express Rights. I'm sure Megan and her team had
originally planned to continue promoting the show with various posts online.
But when a public figure continues with glossy marketing plans
at such times, it can look like they prioritize career
and image over empathy and family loyalty. Prince Harry addressed
more than two hundred business leaders at a networking event
(07:38):
in la on Friday, delivering a speech and mixed humor
with reflections on the transatlantic relationship. The Duke made no
mentions of reports concerning his father in law. Speaking of
Lord Fellows honored at the event, he joked people sometimes
ask if growing up with the royal family was a
bit like Julian's Downton Abbey. Yeah, but only one of
(07:59):
those worlds is filled with drama, intrigue, elaborate dinners, marriages
to Americans, and the other is a TV show. The
Duke appeared at the British American Business Council's annual Christmas
Lunch at the Fairmont Mirama Hotel in Santa Monica, an
event designed to highlight British business interests in the United States.
As the World Cup drawer was taking place in Washington,
(08:19):
he turned to football to continue the humor. Next year,
we are all welcoming many more fellow Brits from across
the pond, provided they behave and that they make it
through customs past ice. The World Cup is coming to
the US. Both England and Scotland have qualified. It's a
Christmas miracle. He noted that Wales and Northern Ireland could
(08:39):
still reach the tournament and wouldn't that be something for
the great American brewers of Budweiser, Coors and Samuel Adams
to celebrate, He said, the British are coming hungry for victory,
and they're thirsty back in the UK. We've recently found
out that pubs might stay open till one am. What
could possibly go wrong? Shifting to a more serious tow,
the Duke said the US UK partnership was deeply personal
(09:02):
to me, and added the special relationship is not just
a diplomatic phrase, It's real. He continued, Being British isn't
about where you physically stand, but what you stand for.
Reflecting on the approaching two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
American independence, he said, truly, this anniversary is a chance
to reflect on how far our relationship has come from
(09:22):
historic tensions to one of the closest partnerships anywhere in
the world, and back to historic tensions just like that.
That partnership is deeply personal to me, not only because
my family and my life are here today, but because
of the extraordinary American servicemen and women I've had the
honor of serving alongside in Afghanistan. Our two nations bond
(09:43):
rests on centuries of friendship shared values, innovation and mutual prosperity,
and we have an update on the hot equerries. Royal
watchers were quick to express their enthusiasm after the King
and Queen's equerries Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, also known as
Lieutenant Colonel I Candy formerly Major I Candy before being promoted,
(10:04):
and Major Oli Plunkett, appeared together during the first day
of the German state visit. The two men were seen
standing signed by sign and sharing a light conversation as
the ceremony unfolded. Fans took to social media to share
their reactions, with one commenting simply pull on fire. Another
wrote lovely photo. They both epitomized dedication to duty. Others
(10:24):
call the moments just lovely and to light full, while
when remarked they do you make a lovely sight to
see and enjoy. Lieutenant Colonel I. Candy now serves with
the fifth Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Major Oliver
OLLI Plunkett, an officer in the Rifles of which the
Queen is Colonel in Chief, has recently stepped down from
his role as the Queen's equerry after three years a
(10:45):
position he has held since the King's accession. He will
be succeeded by the wonderfully named Major Treasure, first name
Rob and the Habit. If you would like to email
us our addresses The Palace intrig at gmail dot com.
Please follow us on Spotify, Apple, or the apple of
your choice. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and don't
(11:05):
forget to leave us a nice review if you're enjoying
the show, No Mirk Francis my thanks to John McDermott
This Palace Intrigue in good terms
Calorogus Shark Media. Hello, and welcome to Palace Intrigue Game,
your host, Mark Francis. Meghan Michael has reached out to
her father, Thomas Markel, after reports that he has undergone
emergency surgery to amputator his left leg. The Duchess of
Sussex's spokesperson confirmed the development, saying I can confirm she
(00:26):
has reached out to her father. This being Megan, of course,
his story got weirder the Express Rights. Meghan's representatives denied
the claims on Friday evening, issuing a rare statement. They
told The Daily Express, this is a complete fabrication. No
aids have been instructed to reach out. Later in the night,
her spokesperson issued a new statement which said I can
(00:46):
confirm she has reached out to her father. Very strange.
Samantha Michael has tweeted, while talk is cheap, so you
can believe it if she and Harry put that on
a private jet and into the best medical care in
the United States. Until then, it's just pr when he
hills a little bit, he should be on a plane
into one of the best hospitals in the United States.
(01:08):
Let's see Harry and Meg step up to the plate.
An article in Parade magazine from August twenty twenty five
speculated Harry and Meghan are worth sixty million dollars. We'll
talk more about Meghan later, but let us not ignore
the Princess of Wales, who hosted her fifth annual Together
at Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey, with more than
sixteen hundred guests gathering for an evening built around the
(01:30):
themes of kindness, community and compassion. Catherine arrived ahead of
a family greeting performers and readers, including Cape Winsley, Joe
Locke and chiwattel Agear. Four moments later, she stepped back
outside to welcome the Prince of Wales and their children,
Prince George, Princess Arlotte and Prince Louis, who were dressed
in coordinating navy and black. Inside the abbey, the Princess
(01:51):
shared a light exchange with Eugene Levy, referring to the
Canadian actors recent meeting with Prince William. Levy said lovely
to meet you, prompting Catherine reply you know my husband
very well now, to which he answered I had a
lovely day with your husband. Although many senior royals attended.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were absent due to prior commitments,
(02:12):
and neither the King nor Queen Camilla were present. Their
absence raised some eyebrows, leading to quick speculation about Charles's health,
but royal watchers point out that Charles has never attended
since becoming king. Our Royal inside at Deep Crown explains
when their majesties attended in twenty twenty two, it was
an act of filial devotion honoring Elizabeth in her final
(02:35):
year that was entirely appropriate, as it should have been.
Since then, Charles has made a rather astute decision to
step back from this particular engagement. You must grasp that
monarchy functions best when responsibilities are delegated with clarity. This
Carol service has become Catherine's signature, initiative, her platform, if
(02:56):
you will, and the King recognizes that his presence would
inevitably overshadow hers. It's not about absence, it's about institutional intelligence.
William and Catherine are positioned as the future, and Charles
understands that the Crown must cultivate the next generation's relevance
by allowing them to serve as These senior royals at
this event. He's doing precisely what a wise sovereign should,
(03:19):
letting his heir and his wife build their own base
of public affection while he maintains appropriate distance. Princess Eugenie
issued a statement saying, wish B and I could have
been celebrating tonight without family. Wishing the Princess of Wales
such a special evening at her incredible Carol service. What
an amazing message of love and hope. Of course their
(03:40):
attendants could have been all sorts of distract in giving
the Andrew news cycle. Also absent was Hannah Waddingham. The
actress was due to sing in The Bleak Midwinter, but
has been forced to cancel. The stated reason was her
voice was strained by an intensive filming schedule for the occasion.
Princess Catherine wore a Katherine Walker coat with a Troy
(04:02):
Fur trimmed collar, paired with a Robinson Pelham sar stud
star drop earrings, previously seeing that the top gun Maverick premiere.
The service itself blended traditional carols, poetry and musical performances.
Prince William delivered a Bible reading from the pulpit while
Cape Winslet and Chiwateel Edgy of four read during the program.
(04:23):
The abbey decorated with Christmas trees and a central Nativity
display was filled with candlelight as guests took their seats.
Ahead of the concert, guests were entertained by young musicians
supported by Future Talent, the charity co founded by the
late Duchess of Kent to widen access to music education.
Eighteen year old trumpeter Kris Wood, now at the Royal
(04:45):
Academy of Music, said it was awesome to take part,
while her sister Eliza, aged thirteen, added I never thought
I'd be able to play there in front of so
many important people. A performance by the Cornish group Fishermen's
Friends took place the Nativity scene, followed by contributions from
Katie Mellure singing White Christmas, Dan Smith with Oh Holy Night,
(05:07):
zach Abel performing Silent Night, and the Westminster Abbey Choristers
leading Hark the Herald Angels sing. The audience included carers,
charity representatives, young award winners such as nine year old
Sophia Turner and d DA veteran Jack Mortimer aged one
hundred and two. As guests departed into the December chill
(05:29):
hot chocolate was offered outside the abbey. No word yet
about the secret after party. The service will be broadcast
on ATV one on Christmas Eve. More palacing just a moment.
In The Express, Carol Malone writes, Megan Michael is in
a bit of a bind. She's been relentlessly flogging her
(05:51):
Netflix Christmas special, in which he talks about the importance
of family at Christmas. She waxes lyrical about how magical
it all is for the kids, and how how determined
she is to make it special for Archie and Lillabet
with handmade crackers and personalized advent calendars. She rambles on
endlessly about warmth and love and friendship and family. And
while we're all watching this fantastical nonsense, her estranged father,
(06:14):
Thomas Mirkle, is desperately ill in a hospital in the
Philippines where there's a real danger he might die. Thomas's
latest health blow couldn't have come at a worse time
for Megan, because she needs her warm and cozy Christmas
special to work, as this second series of With Love
Megan didn't even make Netflix's Top ten shows. And if
(06:36):
she doesn't go and see her dad and he dies.
It will make everything she's ever said about love and
family look like a big fat lie. How can she
continue to make a career based on love and compassion
when she hasn't shown a jot of either to her
poor dad? But more important than her career, Megan will
come to learn that people who refuse to let go
(06:56):
of anger or grudges, who cut family out of their lives,
who are unable to show forgiveness or understanding, will in
the end pay a bigger price than the person they're
trying to punish, because that sort of vengefulness eats away
at the soul, It damages hearts and minds, and poisons
how you treat everyone around you. Similarly, Hanisha Sethi in
(07:17):
the Express Rights. I'm sure Megan and her team had
originally planned to continue promoting the show with various posts online.
But when a public figure continues with glossy marketing plans
at such times, it can look like they prioritize career
and image over empathy and family loyalty. Prince Harry addressed
more than two hundred business leaders at a networking event
(07:38):
in la on Friday, delivering a speech and mixed humor
with reflections on the transatlantic relationship. The Duke made no
mentions of reports concerning his father in law. Speaking of
Lord Fellows honored at the event, he joked people sometimes
ask if growing up with the royal family was a
bit like Julian's Downton Abbey. Yeah, but only one of
(07:59):
those worlds is filled with drama, intrigue, elaborate dinners, marriages
to Americans, and the other is a TV show. The
Duke appeared at the British American Business Council's annual Christmas
Lunch at the Fairmont Mirama Hotel in Santa Monica, an
event designed to highlight British business interests in the United States.
As the World Cup drawer was taking place in Washington,
(08:19):
he turned to football to continue the humor. Next year,
we are all welcoming many more fellow Brits from across
the pond, provided they behave and that they make it
through customs past ice. The World Cup is coming to
the US. Both England and Scotland have qualified. It's a
Christmas miracle. He noted that Wales and Northern Ireland could
(08:39):
still reach the tournament and wouldn't that be something for
the great American brewers of Budweiser, Coors and Samuel Adams
to celebrate, He said, the British are coming hungry for victory,
and they're thirsty back in the UK. We've recently found
out that pubs might stay open till one am. What
could possibly go wrong? Shifting to a more serious tow,
the Duke said the US UK partnership was deeply personal
(09:02):
to me, and added the special relationship is not just
a diplomatic phrase, It's real. He continued, Being British isn't
about where you physically stand, but what you stand for.
Reflecting on the approaching two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
American independence, he said, truly, this anniversary is a chance
to reflect on how far our relationship has come from
(09:22):
historic tensions to one of the closest partnerships anywhere in
the world, and back to historic tensions just like that.
That partnership is deeply personal to me, not only because
my family and my life are here today, but because
of the extraordinary American servicemen and women I've had the
honor of serving alongside in Afghanistan. Our two nations bond
(09:43):
rests on centuries of friendship shared values, innovation and mutual prosperity,
and we have an update on the hot equerries. Royal
watchers were quick to express their enthusiasm after the King
and Queen's equerries Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, also known as
Lieutenant Colonel I Candy formerly Major I Candy before being promoted,
(10:04):
and Major Oli Plunkett, appeared together during the first day
of the German state visit. The two men were seen
standing signed by sign and sharing a light conversation as
the ceremony unfolded. Fans took to social media to share
their reactions, with one commenting simply pull on fire. Another
wrote lovely photo. They both epitomized dedication to duty. Others
(10:24):
call the moments just lovely and to light full, while
when remarked they do you make a lovely sight to
see and enjoy. Lieutenant Colonel I. Candy now serves with
the fifth Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Major Oliver
OLLI Plunkett, an officer in the Rifles of which the
Queen is Colonel in Chief, has recently stepped down from
his role as the Queen's equerry after three years a
(10:45):
position he has held since the King's accession. He will
be succeeded by the wonderfully named Major Treasure, first name
Rob and the Habit. If you would like to email
us our addresses The Palace intrig at gmail dot com.
Please follow us on Spotify, Apple, or the apple of
your choice. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and don't
(11:05):
forget to leave us a nice review if you're enjoying
the show, No Mirk Francis my thanks to John McDermott
This Palace Intrigue in good terms
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