Meghan Markle has been labelled the most disappointing celebrity of 2025 by the Toronto Star, in a critical opinion piece arguing she had the ingredients for global success but “slowly deflated” over the past year. The article is notable given Meghan’s long connection to Toronto during her years filming Suits and the city’s significance in the early stages of her relationship with Prince Harry.
Meanwhile, Star magazine claims tensions between Prince William and Prince Harry have flared again over Princess Diana’s legacy, with a source suggesting Harry wants to pursue a screen project without William’s involvement and would lean on existing Netflix relationships to do it. Rob Shuter also claims Meghan wants to direct, with one source describing her as “intensely hands-on.”
We also review comments from communications professionals who say the Sussexes’ staff turnover is unusually high and potentially damaging, warning that repeated departures have become a story in their own right and may make it harder to recruit top-tier advisers going forward.
Palace Intrigue is your daily royal family podcast, diving deep into the modern-day drama, power struggles, and scandals shaping the future of the monarchy.
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 conve
Meanwhile, Star magazine claims tensions between Prince William and Prince Harry have flared again over Princess Diana’s legacy, with a source suggesting Harry wants to pursue a screen project without William’s involvement and would lean on existing Netflix relationships to do it. Rob Shuter also claims Meghan wants to direct, with one source describing her as “intensely hands-on.”
We also review comments from communications professionals who say the Sussexes’ staff turnover is unusually high and potentially damaging, warning that repeated departures have become a story in their own right and may make it harder to recruit top-tier advisers going forward.
Palace Intrigue is your daily royal family podcast, diving deep into the modern-day drama, power struggles, and scandals shaping the future of the monarchy.
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 conve
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Caloroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome through Palace Intrigue. Am
your host Mark Ransis. Megan Mikal has been labeled the
most disappointing celebrity of twenty twenty five by her former
hometown newspaper, The Toronto Star. The opinion piece argues that
despite having all the ingredients to become a global success,
(00:26):
she has failed to live up to expectations over the
past year and has instead slowly deflated. Meghan spent seven
years living in Toronto while filming the legal drama Suits,
a period she has often described as allowing her to
live a normal life despite her growing fame. It was
also during the time in the city that she began
her relationship with Prince Harry, who reportedly traveled quietly to
(00:49):
Toronto in twenty sixteen to visit her. Toronto has long
held symbolic importance for the couple. It was where they
made their first public appearance together at the Invictus Schemes
and twenty seventeen, and as recently as November, Harry publicly
thanked the city for giving him a wife during a
speech at the True Patriot Love Foundation National Tribute Dinner.
(01:12):
Despite that history, the Toronto Star article offers a sharply
critical reassessment, while stopping short of calling Megan an abject failure.
According to Star, tensions between William and Harry have reportedly
flared once again, this time over how the legacy of
their late mother, Princess Diana should be handled and Inside
It tells the magazine that the Duke of Sussex is
(01:33):
determined to honor his mother and share her story with
the next generation, and does not believe his older brother
needs to be involved. The source ads that Harry intends
to use his existing Netflix relationship when the time comes,
saying he would go straight there, a move that is
said to further anger the Prince of Wales, particularly given
lingering resentment over the crown. What is said to trouble
(01:55):
Prince William most, however, is Meghan Markle's alleged involvement. According
to gossip columnist Rob Shooter, sources claim that Harry and
Meghan are developing a feature film centered on Diana, and
that Megan wants to direct the project. Shooter Scoops Insider
reports they've been meeting with writers, agents and producers, breaking
story and talking casting. Meghan is intensely hands on and
(02:17):
wants control from start to finish and inside a Telstarr
doesn't want her anywhere near his mother's story, But of
course that doesn't matter one bit to Harry. He is
absolutely second that Harry and my extension, Meghan will be
profiting off Diana. To him, it's nothing more than a
shameless money grab, and he's vowing to do whatever it
takes to stop them. Harry's not asking anyone's permission anymore,
(02:39):
especially not Williams. In his eyes, the monarchy failed Diana,
so they ought to be the last ones in charge
of honoring her. We'll have our popcorn ready either way.
A series of high level staff departures from Prince Harry
and Meghan Michael's team has prompted fresh criticism from communications experts,
who say the turnover is unusual, high and potentially damaging.
(03:02):
Doug Elridge, founder of Achilles pr told Fox News Digital
that losing five senior communications advisors within a year is
highly irregular outside of the final months of an outgoing
government administration. He said it remains unclear whether the exits
were driven by budget pressures at archwell, a strategic consolidation,
or the natural end of consultancy contracts, nothing there has been,
(03:28):
noting there has been no indication that any advisors were
formally fired or quit in protest. Elrich said successful communications
operations depend on clarity, continuity, and execution, adding that stability
is difficult to achieve when a team becomes a revolving door.
Royal photographer Helena Chard echoed that concern, telling Fox News
(03:48):
that the latest departures feel like deja vu as what
she described as the couple's high staff turnover merry go
round continues. She suggested that the controversy surrounding Harry and
Meghan's appearance at Chris Janet's birthday party may have contributed
to former Chief Communications Officer Meredith Mainz deciding to step
away amid scrutiny over media handling in public perception, Chad
(04:13):
said means a well regarded communications professional may have chosen
to protect her reputation, stressing that a strategy only works
if all parties adhere to it. She was appointed to
what she call a lack of clarity and consistency in
the Sussex's messaging, adding there are murmurs the couple do
not always follow expert advice. Royal commentator Hilary Fordage was
(04:35):
more blunt, describing the departures as confirmation that Harry and
Meghan are unimaginably high maintenance and calling them the common
factor in what she labeled a dysfunctional situation. She noted
that senior communications professionals typically stay in rolls for three
to five years, with frequent turnover more common in startups
or organizations, and crisis. Such patterns, she said, can signal
(04:57):
either difficult principles, shrinking operation, or both. Fortage contrasted the
Sussexes situation with that of Prince William Kate Middleton, whose
senior communication staff have remained in place for years, a
stability she attributed to clear hierarchies and established protocols. Elridge
and Chard also warned that the departures themselves are creating
(05:19):
the very headlines Harry and meganusent to want to avoid.
Elridge said that without a strong communications team shaping narratives,
attention inevitably shifts to why senior advisers keep leaving, a
perception he believes will be particularly damaging in both the
UK and the United States. Fortage added that the ongoing
turbulence could make it increasingly difficult for the Sussexes to
(05:40):
attract top tier professionals in the future, arguing that experienced
advisers are unlikely to commit to what she described as
a volatile environment with unclear strategy and a contracting philanthropic operation.
More palace in just a moment. By the way, I
(06:00):
want to thank our subscribers for putting up with our
little glitch over the weekend with Apple and the inability
to remove the commercials. We seem to have gotten everything
resolved and hope you are enjoying once again a commercial
free experience and appreciate the support very much. Thank you
for putting up with that. In The Guardian and at
(06:22):
Whitelock Rits Walter Bagohart, the Victorian journalist and political essayist,
I argue that the British monarchy's mystery is its life,
and that we must not let in daylight upon magic.
This has for more than one hundred and fifty years
provided the justification for our constitutional monarchy to remain shrouded
in secrecy, above scrutiny and protected from sustained critique. As
(06:44):
Bagohart wrote, above all things, our royalty is to be
reverenced and if you begin to poke about it, you
cannot reverence it. Yet automatic deference or reverence is no more.
Contemporary expectations of transparency and accountability are finally beginning to
focus on the monarchy. Silence now suggests there is something
to hide, and this erodes public trust and with it
(07:05):
acceptance of a minded faction for the institution. There are
questions around what was known and ignored regarding Andrew mount
Batten windsor what further questions of accountability and transparency may
arise should it not be more widely known and considered
that as monarch, our head of state has sovereign immunity
and so cannot be tried in court. And then there
(07:25):
is the little known fact that the King's consent has
sought for all legislation that affects the personal property or
personal interests of the crown. The royal family has consistently
been reactive rather than proactive when it comes to change
in public opinion, and continues to believe in privilege and
privacy at all costs. Yet for the monarchy to survive
and thrive, and the king to continue to play a
(07:47):
role as a unifying figurehead supporting charitable causes and exercising
soft power internationally, he needs to embrace openness and accountability.
Reverence towards the institution is all but lost, but without
transparency and letting in the daylight, it risks further alienation, mistrust,
and fatal irrelevance. As the King is praised for the
(08:08):
openness with which he has spoken about his health, perhaps
he might reflect on the expectations the public may have
of a truly modern monarch. Queen Camilla has spoken publicly
for the first time about being indecently assaulted as a teenager,
sharing her experience during a special edition of BBC Radio
fours Today program. The queen said the incident occurred when
(08:29):
she was attacked by a stranger on a train while
reading a book. Recalling the moment, she said, somebody I
didn't know attacked me and I did fight it back.
She added that she was left deeply angry by the experience,
saying I was so furious about it, and it sort
of lurked for many years. Camilla told the program that
when she arrived home, her mother immediately noticed something was wrong,
(08:50):
asking why a hare was standing on end, why a
button was missing from her coat. Reflecting on the long
term impact. The Queen said the memory resurfaced strongly as
she became more involve in supporting victims of domestic abuse
and sexual violence. Throughout her public life, Queen Camilla has
made supporting survivors of rape, domestic violence and sexual abuse
a central part of her work. King Charles and Queen
(09:13):
Camilla marked the arrival of the new year by sharing
a distinctive animated message on social media. The post featured
a stylized display of fireworks bursting above Bunkingham Palace before
forming the words Happy New Year, accompanied by the sound
of cheering as twenty twenty six began. Alongside the animation,
King Charles the Third and Queen Camilla wrote, as twenty
(09:34):
twenty six arrives around the world, we wish you all
a very happy New Year, and they have it. If
you'd like to email us or address it's the Palace
Intrigue at gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple,
or Facebook or Instagram or all the social media sites
were all over the place. Come say hi, I'm Mark
Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue
(09:54):
in good terms.
Caloroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome through Palace Intrigue. Am
your host Mark Ransis. Megan Mikal has been labeled the
most disappointing celebrity of twenty twenty five by her former
hometown newspaper, The Toronto Star. The opinion piece argues that
despite having all the ingredients to become a global success,
(00:26):
she has failed to live up to expectations over the
past year and has instead slowly deflated. Meghan spent seven
years living in Toronto while filming the legal drama Suits,
a period she has often described as allowing her to
live a normal life despite her growing fame. It was
also during the time in the city that she began
her relationship with Prince Harry, who reportedly traveled quietly to
(00:49):
Toronto in twenty sixteen to visit her. Toronto has long
held symbolic importance for the couple. It was where they
made their first public appearance together at the Invictus Schemes
and twenty seventeen, and as recently as November, Harry publicly
thanked the city for giving him a wife during a
speech at the True Patriot Love Foundation National Tribute Dinner.
(01:12):
Despite that history, the Toronto Star article offers a sharply
critical reassessment, while stopping short of calling Megan an abject failure.
According to Star, tensions between William and Harry have reportedly
flared once again, this time over how the legacy of
their late mother, Princess Diana should be handled and Inside
It tells the magazine that the Duke of Sussex is
(01:33):
determined to honor his mother and share her story with
the next generation, and does not believe his older brother
needs to be involved. The source ads that Harry intends
to use his existing Netflix relationship when the time comes,
saying he would go straight there, a move that is
said to further anger the Prince of Wales, particularly given
lingering resentment over the crown. What is said to trouble
(01:55):
Prince William most, however, is Meghan Markle's alleged involvement. According
to gossip columnist Rob Shooter, sources claim that Harry and
Meghan are developing a feature film centered on Diana, and
that Megan wants to direct the project. Shooter Scoops Insider
reports they've been meeting with writers, agents and producers, breaking
story and talking casting. Meghan is intensely hands on and
(02:17):
wants control from start to finish and inside a Telstarr
doesn't want her anywhere near his mother's story, But of
course that doesn't matter one bit to Harry. He is
absolutely second that Harry and my extension, Meghan will be
profiting off Diana. To him, it's nothing more than a
shameless money grab, and he's vowing to do whatever it
takes to stop them. Harry's not asking anyone's permission anymore,
(02:39):
especially not Williams. In his eyes, the monarchy failed Diana,
so they ought to be the last ones in charge
of honoring her. We'll have our popcorn ready either way.
A series of high level staff departures from Prince Harry
and Meghan Michael's team has prompted fresh criticism from communications experts,
who say the turnover is unusual, high and potentially damaging.
(03:02):
Doug Elridge, founder of Achilles pr told Fox News Digital
that losing five senior communications advisors within a year is
highly irregular outside of the final months of an outgoing
government administration. He said it remains unclear whether the exits
were driven by budget pressures at archwell, a strategic consolidation,
or the natural end of consultancy contracts, nothing there has been,
(03:28):
noting there has been no indication that any advisors were
formally fired or quit in protest. Elrich said successful communications
operations depend on clarity, continuity, and execution, adding that stability
is difficult to achieve when a team becomes a revolving door.
Royal photographer Helena Chard echoed that concern, telling Fox News
(03:48):
that the latest departures feel like deja vu as what
she described as the couple's high staff turnover merry go
round continues. She suggested that the controversy surrounding Harry and
Meghan's appearance at Chris Janet's birthday party may have contributed
to former Chief Communications Officer Meredith Mainz deciding to step
away amid scrutiny over media handling in public perception, Chad
(04:13):
said means a well regarded communications professional may have chosen
to protect her reputation, stressing that a strategy only works
if all parties adhere to it. She was appointed to
what she call a lack of clarity and consistency in
the Sussex's messaging, adding there are murmurs the couple do
not always follow expert advice. Royal commentator Hilary Fordage was
(04:35):
more blunt, describing the departures as confirmation that Harry and
Meghan are unimaginably high maintenance and calling them the common
factor in what she labeled a dysfunctional situation. She noted
that senior communications professionals typically stay in rolls for three
to five years, with frequent turnover more common in startups
or organizations, and crisis. Such patterns, she said, can signal
(04:57):
either difficult principles, shrinking operation, or both. Fortage contrasted the
Sussexes situation with that of Prince William Kate Middleton, whose
senior communication staff have remained in place for years, a
stability she attributed to clear hierarchies and established protocols. Elridge
and Chard also warned that the departures themselves are creating
(05:19):
the very headlines Harry and meganusent to want to avoid.
Elridge said that without a strong communications team shaping narratives,
attention inevitably shifts to why senior advisers keep leaving, a
perception he believes will be particularly damaging in both the
UK and the United States. Fortage added that the ongoing
turbulence could make it increasingly difficult for the Sussexes to
(05:40):
attract top tier professionals in the future, arguing that experienced
advisers are unlikely to commit to what she described as
a volatile environment with unclear strategy and a contracting philanthropic operation.
More palace in just a moment. By the way, I
(06:00):
want to thank our subscribers for putting up with our
little glitch over the weekend with Apple and the inability
to remove the commercials. We seem to have gotten everything
resolved and hope you are enjoying once again a commercial
free experience and appreciate the support very much. Thank you
for putting up with that. In The Guardian and at
(06:22):
Whitelock Rits Walter Bagohart, the Victorian journalist and political essayist,
I argue that the British monarchy's mystery is its life,
and that we must not let in daylight upon magic.
This has for more than one hundred and fifty years
provided the justification for our constitutional monarchy to remain shrouded
in secrecy, above scrutiny and protected from sustained critique. As
(06:44):
Bagohart wrote, above all things, our royalty is to be
reverenced and if you begin to poke about it, you
cannot reverence it. Yet automatic deference or reverence is no more.
Contemporary expectations of transparency and accountability are finally beginning to
focus on the monarchy. Silence now suggests there is something
to hide, and this erodes public trust and with it
(07:05):
acceptance of a minded faction for the institution. There are
questions around what was known and ignored regarding Andrew mount
Batten windsor what further questions of accountability and transparency may
arise should it not be more widely known and considered
that as monarch, our head of state has sovereign immunity
and so cannot be tried in court. And then there
(07:25):
is the little known fact that the King's consent has
sought for all legislation that affects the personal property or
personal interests of the crown. The royal family has consistently
been reactive rather than proactive when it comes to change
in public opinion, and continues to believe in privilege and
privacy at all costs. Yet for the monarchy to survive
and thrive, and the king to continue to play a
(07:47):
role as a unifying figurehead supporting charitable causes and exercising
soft power internationally, he needs to embrace openness and accountability.
Reverence towards the institution is all but lost, but without
transparency and letting in the daylight, it risks further alienation, mistrust,
and fatal irrelevance. As the King is praised for the
(08:08):
openness with which he has spoken about his health, perhaps
he might reflect on the expectations the public may have
of a truly modern monarch. Queen Camilla has spoken publicly
for the first time about being indecently assaulted as a teenager,
sharing her experience during a special edition of BBC Radio
fours Today program. The queen said the incident occurred when
(08:29):
she was attacked by a stranger on a train while
reading a book. Recalling the moment, she said, somebody I
didn't know attacked me and I did fight it back.
She added that she was left deeply angry by the experience,
saying I was so furious about it, and it sort
of lurked for many years. Camilla told the program that
when she arrived home, her mother immediately noticed something was wrong,
(08:50):
asking why a hare was standing on end, why a
button was missing from her coat. Reflecting on the long
term impact. The Queen said the memory resurfaced strongly as
she became more involve in supporting victims of domestic abuse
and sexual violence. Throughout her public life, Queen Camilla has
made supporting survivors of rape, domestic violence and sexual abuse
a central part of her work. King Charles and Queen
(09:13):
Camilla marked the arrival of the new year by sharing
a distinctive animated message on social media. The post featured
a stylized display of fireworks bursting above Bunkingham Palace before
forming the words Happy New Year, accompanied by the sound
of cheering as twenty twenty six began. Alongside the animation,
King Charles the Third and Queen Camilla wrote, as twenty
(09:34):
twenty six arrives around the world, we wish you all
a very happy New Year, and they have it. If
you'd like to email us or address it's the Palace
Intrigue at gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple,
or Facebook or Instagram or all the social media sites
were all over the place. Come say hi, I'm Mark
Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue
(09:54):
in good terms.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!