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October 5, 2025 17 mins
The royal family exploded this week with multiple crises converging at once! Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine are reportedly "at odds" after cameras caught Camilla allegedly telling Kate to "move" during Trump's state visit, with insiders claiming Camilla is "territorial" and reminding Kate "she's calling the shots for now." The tension highlights a growing power struggle as Kate becomes increasingly influential with both King Charles and Prince William.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry issued a furious statement accusing unnamed palace sources of actively "sabotaging" his reconciliation attempts after reports described his meeting with Charles as "formal." Palace insiders fired back: "Every time there's progress, he runs to the press and ruins it. He needs attention like air." 

But the week's bombshell came Saturday when William delivered his most candid interview ever with Eugene Levy, calling 2024 "the hardest year I've ever had" and revealing his vision for modernizing the monarchy. He opened up about protecting Kate and Charles during their cancer battles, learning from his parents' divorce mistakes, and why "change is on my agenda." Plus: Andrew and Fergie effectively banned from royal Christmas at Sandringham, Kate skipped the Rugby World Cup final but found time for a Harry Potter set visit with the kids, Meghan's father trapped in Philippines earthquake, and Tom Sykes declares William—not Charles—now calls the shots in the monarchy!

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calorogu Shark Media.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hello and welcome to Pallace Weekly. I am your host,
Mark Francis. The week belonged to Prince William. In the
most candid interview of his life, the future king laid
out his vision for a modernized monarchy, opened up about
twenty twenty four being the hardest year I've ever had,
and made clear he's not waiting for his father's crown
to start calling the shots. But getting to that blockbuster

(00:38):
moment required navigating family tensions that would make a soap
opera writer blush, including explosive claims that Queen Camilla told
Kate to move out of the way during Trump's visit,
and Harry accusing Pallas sources of actively sabotaging his reconciliation attempts.
Monday opened with a bombshell that threatened to overshadow everything else.

(01:01):
Reports The Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine are at odds
following a tense moment during Trump's state visit when Camras
appeared to show Camilla motioning for Kate to move while
the princess was speaking with Milania Trump. A source told
Examiner the incident has stirred friction within the royal household,
revealing deeper tensions about hierarchy and influence. Camilla has been

(01:23):
extremely kind and supportive towards Kate throughout her recent struggles,
but she's territorial by nature as well as prickly. It
annoys her to no end. There's this narrative that the
Whaless can do no wrong and that Kate can sworn
around whenever she feels like it, waving her magic wand
and taking a self appointed bow. As the most popular
member of the monarchy, according to Inside As, Camilla has

(01:45):
been reminding Kate that she's calling the shots for now,
making clear it's not Kate or William's place to be
throwing their weight around or barking orders. From Kate's perspective,
Camilla's public display was unnecessary and embarrassing. The way she
behaved in front of everyone, pushing Kate away and snapping,
was uncalled for, and it raised William's hackles. Two. The

(02:06):
tension reflects a deeper power struggle within the Palace Royal
Inside at Deep Crown wrote in his Sunday Substack that
Catherine is the glue in the factory and suggested that
without her, the public would be left with a monarchy
high on tradition but lo on charm. He noted Kate
now sits at the heart of three key relationships with William,
with the King, and with the Queen, and that such

(02:27):
influence doesn't go unnoticed. Another palace insider was more blunt.
Alongside the respect Kate commands, there's also jealousy and unease
when one figure becomes so close to the King, it
doesn't go unnoticed. If Monday revealed cracks in the family's
public facade, Tuesday shattered any illusions about Harry's path back

(02:48):
to royal life. The Duke issued a rare and pointed
statement denying claims about the tone of his recent meeting
with King Charles and suggesting unnamed sources are actively trying
to sabotage or reconcile. Harry's spokesperson hit back at the
Son's reporting that described the meeting as formal and claimed
Harry felt like an official visitor rather than a son.

(03:10):
Recent reporting of the Duke's view of the tone of
the meeting is categorically false. The quotes attributed to him
are pure invention, fed one can only assume by sources
intent on sabotaging any reconciliation between father and son. The
palace response was swift and telling. Sources described themselves as
saddened and perplexed by the accusation, with courtiers noting that

(03:32):
such public pronouncements only served to make that endeavor more difficult.
One insider told shut a scoop. Every time there's progress,
he runs to the press and ruins it. He demands privacy,
but never shuts up in his attention. Like Air Tom Sakes,
and the Royalist didn't mince words about who might be
behind the sabotage. Prince William has made it clear through

(03:52):
his actions that he is opposed to reconciling with his brother.
In stark contrast to the King having just won the
Battle of Prince Andrew and I've seen him purged from
royal life, some cynics might be wondering whether Prince William
thinks he is on a roll. Speaking of Andrew, the
week brought a confirmation of what many had suspected. The
Duke and Duchess of York are effectively person and on
grata at royal family events. Going forward, King Charles has

(04:16):
reportedly decided to keep both Andrew and Sarah at arm's length,
with sources saying they're not expected at Sandringham for Christmas,
nor welcome at future family occasions. You can't sack someone
for being your brother, one royal source told The Sunday Times.
But this year, if the Duke and Duchess were both
to be as honorable as last year, it would be
very much for the best and the family would not

(04:37):
be disappointed. The decision represents a significant shift for Charles,
who had previously extended Christian forgiveness to his troubled brother,
but with fresh scandals continuing to emerge, including allegations in
Andrew Lowney's new book about a Thai orgy with more
than forty women, even the king's patients as limits, Tom
Sykes argued this represents a fundamental power shift from Charles

(04:59):
to William. This is not about who gets how many
roast potatoes. It's about the structure, the anatomy, the sinews
of the monarchy. Who holds power, who makes decisions, who
defies the institution's survival strategy. The answer is now clear.
William Sikes noted it was intriguing that the King climbed
down after spending time with William in Scotland this week,

(05:20):
adding that William stay at Balmoral, eight miles from Birkehle,
where Charles and Camilla are based. He spent much of
his time shooting grouse with friends. This was no cozy
weekend of father son bonding. There was a negotiation and
William emerged with his father's head. The decision creates a
painful dilemma for Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, who may feel
it unfair of them to go with their parents aren't there.

(05:43):
Royal commentator Phil Dampier noted the King has a soft
spot for both Beatrice and Eugenian feels sorry for the
situation they are in, so it's a real dilemma for
him and one he could do without. While family dramas
play now, Kate found herself facing criticism from an un
unexpected quarter rugby fans. The Princess Patron of the Rugby

(06:04):
Football Union was notably absent from the women's at Rugby
World Cup final on Saturday, a landmark moment. When England's
Red Roses clinched the world title with a commanding thirty
three thirteen victory over Canada, fans took to social media
to voice disappointment, with one writing HRH. Catherine should have
been there today at the final. Earlier appearances don't negate

(06:26):
not being there to support the team at the final.
The frustration was compounded by the wider absence of senior
royals and government figures. What made the absence more puzzling
was the revelation that Kate had somehow found the time
and energy to conjure up a magical day for her
children with a private visit to the Harry Potter television
series set. The family got an exclusive behind the scenes

(06:46):
look at the new HBO production, with Prince Louis reportedly
getting to ride the Hogwarts Express on a half mile
track built near Adelaide cottage. It was so special a
set inside, it told The Daily Mail. Kate and the
children met the young actors the director on the set.
There was only one night of filming there, so it
really was a magical ticket. The optics weren't great, missing

(07:07):
a historic sporting achievement to visit a TV set and
highlighted the ongoing debate about Kate's modified schedule and what
exactly qualifies as essential royal duty. Back in California, Megan
was having her usual mixed week of lifestyle, brand posts
and professional setbacks. Monday brought news she'd been dropped from
a Los Angeles gala where she was supposed to be

(07:29):
honored for championing women and underserved communities. Who name no
longer appeared on the official program for the reschedule October
fifteenth event, but Megan sold it on with her Instagram presence,
posting videos of cozy armchairs with sleeping rescue beagles, handwritten
messages about birds and bees, and a Marjong game night
with friends. The post drew mixed reactions, with some followers

(07:52):
praising the esthetic, while others called it cheap looking and
struggled to read her cursive on a caffeine rush handwriting.
More seriously, industry sources told Radar on Land that Meghan
may be considering a return to acting after disappointing figures
Fought with Love Megan. Meghan put her heart into the show,
but the ratings were not what she hoped for. That
leaves her at a crossroads, one source explained, though another

(08:15):
was brutally honest. The truth is she was a terrible
actress and no one in Hollywood is going to want
to cast her in big projects, as she is also
seen as toxic. The week also brought the surreal news
that Meghan's a strange father, Thomas Michael, was trapped on
the nineteenth floor of a building in the Philippines following
a powerful six point seven magnitude earthquake. His daughter Samantha

(08:35):
confirmed he can't walk and he has trapped, though there
was no word on whether Meghan and Harry had offered assistance.
More palace in just a moment. The family tensions that
Harry drama. The Megan's Side Show was all a prologue
to Saturday's main event. Prince William's extraordinarily candid interview with

(08:58):
Eugene Levy for Apple TV Plus is the Reluctant Traveler.
Filmed at Windsor Castle over what appeared to be a
relaxed afternoon featuring electric scooters, pub visits, and walks with
a family dog, ll Up, the conversation revealed a future
king who's done waiting in the wings. William opened up
with a mission statement that would have been unthinkable from
a Royal air just a generation ago. I think it's

(09:20):
safe to say that change is on my agenda, change
for good, and I embrace that I enjoy that change,
I don't fear it. That's the bit that excites me,
the idea of being able to bring some change, not
overly radical, but changes I think need to happen. The
interview's most powerful moments came when William spoke about the
year that had tested his family to its core. I'd

(09:40):
say twenty twenty four was the hardest year that I've
ever had, he admitted, describing the challenge of trying to
balance protecting the children Catherine, my father needs a bit
of protection. It's important that my family feels protected, and
he has the space to process a lot of stuff
that's gone on last year, and that was tricky trying
to do that and keep to the job. His vulnerability

(10:02):
was striking. We've been very lucky. We haven't had many
illnesses in the family for a very long time. My
grandparents lived until they were in their high nineties, so
we've been very lucky as a family. But when you
suddenly realize that the metaphorical rug can be pulled from
under your feet quite quick at any point when it
does happen to you, then yeah, it takes you into
some pretty not great places. When asked what overwhelms him.

(10:24):
William was brutally honest. Stuff to do with the family
overwhelms me quite a bit. Worry or stress around the
family side of things does overwhelm me quite a bit.
When it's to do with family and things like that.
Then that's where I start getting a bit overwhelmed, as
I think most people would, because it's more personal, it's
more about feeling, it's more about upsetting a rhythm. Perhaps
most revealing was William's frank discussion of how his parents

(10:47):
divorce shaped his approach to family life. You have to
have that warmth, that feeling of safety, security, love, that
all has to be there, and that was certainly part
of my childhood. My parents got divorced at eight, lasted
a short period of time, but you'd take that and
you learn from it and you try to make sure
you don't do the same mistakes as your parents. The

(11:08):
ordinary rhythm he and Kate have created for their children's
stands and start contrast to his own childhood. School pickups
and drop offs, family dinners, without phones, we sit in
chat it's really important. Trampolines and netball and ballet lessons.
If you don't start the children off now with a happy, healthy,
stable home, I feel you're setting them up for a
bit of a hard time and a fall. William was

(11:29):
equally clear about the lessons learned from watching his parents'
relationship destroyed by media intrusion growing up. I saw that
with my parents. The media was so insatiable back then.
They were in everything, literally everywhere, and if you let
that creep in, the damage it can do to your
family life is something that I vowed would never happen
to my family. His approach represents a careful, calibrated balance.

(11:50):
I understand in my role there is interests. You have
to work with the media, so you have to have
a grown up sort of situation with it as well.
It's about knowing where the line is and what you're
willing to up with. On his vision for the future,
William was both respectful of tradition and unafraid to question it.
If you're not careful, history can be a real wait
and an acre around you, and you can feel suffocated

(12:11):
by it and restricted by it too much. I want
to question things more. I think it's very important that
tradition stays, and tradition has a huge part in all
of this, but there's also points where you look at
tradition and go is that still fit for purpose today?
He's already thinking about how to make his own coronation relevant.
He is really thinking, how do we make this coronation
feel more relevant in the future. He is mindful of

(12:33):
the fact that in twenty years time or whenever his
time comes, how can the coronation be modern but also
unifying to the nation and the Commonwealth, And looking even
further ahead to Prince George's future. William was protective. I
want to create a world in which my son is
proud of what we do, a world and job that
actually does impact people's lives for the better. That is
caveated with I hope we don't go back to some

(12:55):
of the practices in the past that Harry and I
had to grow up in, and I'll do everything I
can to make sure we don't regress in that situation.
Royle inside a Deep Crown captured what made the interview
so significant. When I saw William in conversation with Eugene Levy,
I was reminded immediately of Harry's preferred style. The casual setting,
the confessional tone, the sprinkling of celebrity, yet the contrast

(13:18):
could not be clearer. Harry's interviews have too often been
consumed by grievance, whereas William's words carried intention. He was
not settling scores, He was outlining the monarch he means
to become. Indeed, William appears to have learned from his
brother's missteps while adopting the authentic personal communication style that
modern audiences demand. Where Harry looks backward with resentment, William

(13:40):
looks forward with purpose. Where Harry looks backward resentment, William
looks forward with purpose. Where Harry demands change through destruction,
William promises evolution through reform. Pallas intrigue will be right back.
Amid the major dramas other royal us continued apace, Princess

(14:01):
Anne made an unannounced visit to Ukraine, laying a toy
bear at a memorial for children killed in the conflict
and meeting with President Zelensky. Luxembourg saw Grand Duke on
reabdicate after twenty five years, passing the throne to his
son Guilloum in a modern ceremony that symbolized continuity and renewal,
and in a delightfully mundane moment, King Charles hosted a

(14:23):
cow named Poppy at Clarence House, laughing as the heritage
bovine knocked over furniture and relieved herself on the garden Pathway.
Don't push it back into my boxed head, he told
handlers good naturedly. Sometimes even kings just need a laugh.
As October begins, the landscape of the British monarchy has
shifted dramatically. William is no longer simply waiting his turn.

(14:44):
He's actively shaping the institution he'll one day lead. His
interview didn't just reveal a more personal side. It announced
the arrival of the future king, who's done deferring to
his olders on matters of survival and relevance. Charles, weakened
by illness and increasingly outmaneuvered by his heir, appears to
be seeding ground on multiple fronts. The Andrew banishment, the

(15:05):
Harry stalemate, even the apparent tensions between Camilla and Kate
all point to a monarchy in transition, with power flowing
inexorably toward the next generation. Harry meanwhile, remains trapped in
a cycle of his own making, demanding reconciliation while publicly
accusing his family of sabotage, wanting privacy while craving attention,
seeking acceptance while refusing to stop talking. Each statement, each

(15:28):
accusation pushes him further from the family he claims to
want back, and Kate, for better or worse, has become
the monarchy's secret weapon, though perhaps not so secret anymore.
Her influence with both Charles and William, her public popularity,
and her carefully managed image make her indispensable to the
institution's future. Whether that creates tension with Camilla or anyone

(15:49):
else may matter less than the simple fact that the
monarchy needs her more than she needs them. The week
began with questions about Pallace tensions and ended with William's
vision of the future. In between, we got a class
in royal politics, family dysfunction, and the messy reality of
an ancient institution trying to survive in a modern world.
If this is what Williams warm up act looks like

(16:10):
his brain promises to be fascinating, assuming, of course, there's
still a monarchy left to inherit by the time his
father's done navigating all these family mine fields, and they
have it. If you'd like to email us our addresses,
the Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com. Please follow us
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us out on Facebook the search for Palace Intrigue and
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(16:33):
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We have Deep Crown. We have our two new series
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Powerless Weekly. Good terms,
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