Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calorogus Shark Media. Now, hello and welcome to Palace Weekly.
I am your host, Mark Francis, and here we have
a weekly roundup of all the stories you'll find on
Palace Intrigue Daily. And if you'd like to get the
full versions of these stories, please go back and listen
(00:23):
to the daily versions. Let's dive into last week. A
bombshell claim has emerged that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor brought prostitutes
into Buckingham Palace for years and the Queen Elizabeth knew
but chose not to act. The allegations come from royal
historian Andrew Lowney, author of entitled The Rise and Fall
(00:46):
of the House of York, who told News Nation the
palace staff raised repeated concerns about Andrew's conduct, only to
be warned to stay silent. He brought in prostitutes to
Buckingham Palace for years. It was done on a basis,
Lowney said. People who worked there complained to people in command,
but nothing was done. The security that complained were told,
(01:07):
if you would like to go back to the beat
in Brixton, you have that choice, but otherwise you keep quiet.
Of course, the Queen knew she was informed, but she
was her favorite son and he got away with everything.
They brushed it under the rug until now, Lowney added.
The historians said former palace employees and government officials have
begun coming forward with new information. They are no longer
(01:28):
scared to talk or come out and tell the world
what really happened, now that Andrew has been removed from
power and no longer protected by the Queen, Lowney told
reporters he is now hearing from two to three people
a day eager to share information. I'm hearing from protection officers, diplomats,
people in the navy. The floodgates have opened. A lot
of people who were once off the record now want
(01:50):
to be on the record. They want to be on
the right side of history. The response has been so
overwhelming that he is preparing not only an expanded Paperbacker,
but also a follow up volume title untitled. Among those
who have contacted him are a former nanny who worked
for Andrew in the late nineteen sixties and former ambassador
from Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, a leading Church of England Vickar, has
(02:15):
questioned whether the late queen was ignorant of her son's
alleged sexual misconduct. Stephen Kurt asked whether the monarch and
her staff had a blind spot over the former prince's behavior.
In his new book Safeguarding the Institution, Kurt wrote, is
it really credible that she was entirely ignorant of the
activities and certainly the associations of the son to whom
(02:37):
she was so close? Should we accept the excuse that
she had a blind spot towards the weaknesses of her
supposed favorite child. Back at Royal Lodge, the final days
are proving bleak. Andrew has allegedly been spending his time
ranting to himself, while Sarah Ferguson has taken refuge at
a secret bar called the Doghouse, confiding in staff about
(02:58):
her fears and say the former Duke and Duchess sleep
at different ends of the thirty room home and only
join one another at meal times. Sarah spends evenings in
the purpose built bar behind the mansion, where she pours
out her heart to staff and friends, even asking them
to stay late to keep her company. The source said
Sarah has told Powells she fears she or Andrew could
(03:20):
be targeted as they lose windsor estate. Security. She has
talked about dark forces potentially targeting him. It is probably
far fetched, but she is scared and massively on edge.
Andrew is reportedly digging in his hills as he prepares
to leave, making fresh demands before agreeing to vacate following
(03:40):
King Charles's decision to strip him of his titles and
begin a viction proceedings. Andrew is said to be insisting
on an appropriate home and a rota of staff fit
for the sun. However, debased of a queen and the
father of two royal princesses, the disgraced royal is allegedly
demanding a personal cook, housekeeper and secretary cume butler, as
(04:00):
well as gardeners. He also reportedly wants the right to
rome on the grounds of his next home, refusing to
be confined to quarters. Andrew is also seeking guarantees that
his financial support moment disappear once Prince William becomes king,
adding to his troubles. Sarah Ferguson is reportedly considering selling
a private collection of letters written to her by Princess Diana,
(04:23):
correspondents said to contain personal reflections on Diana's troubled marriage
to Charles. According to New Idea magazine, Ferguson has kept
the letters for decades and now views them as a
potential financial lifeline. And Inside has said Fergie's long hoarded
correspondence from Diana, with some letters containing vivid details about
her disastrous marriage to Charles, the treasure trove of letters
(04:46):
from Diana is Fergie's secret weapon. Andrew is closing the
book on what remains of his business ventures, with formal
proceedings now underway to dissolve Pitch at Palace Global. A
filing submitted to company's house confirmed the closure. The most
recent accounts showed cash reserves of just over ten thousand pounds,
(05:06):
down sharply from two hundred twenty thousand the year prior.
Buckingham Palace has quietly clarified that Andrew's surname will now
appear with a hyphen mount baton Dash Windsor, in line
with Queen Elizabeth's nineteen sixty declaration. When asked earlier about
the absence of a hyphen in recent documents, a Palace
spokeswoman said simply Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was the name agreed. However,
(05:30):
it is understood that the Palace has since reviewed the
original nineteen sixty Privy Council declaration and will use the
hyphenated form going forward. In perhaps the most humiliating detail,
King Charles's unprecedented decision has left Andrew not only without
his titles, but now outranked by his own daughters. Under
(05:51):
new royal protocol, Andrew must bow to Princess Beatrice and
Princess Eugenie, who have retained their titles. Royal biographer Robert
Hartman told The Daily that Andrew probably will follow the custom,
though not happily. Royal expert Phil Dampia says the new
summons from a US congressional committee has Andrew worried. Just
when you think it can't get any worse for Prince Andrew,
(06:12):
it seemingly does. He's had his title stripped away from
him by the King, and now he's got his summons
from a congressional committee in the States. Lowney believes Andrew
may ultimately flee the country if legal proceedings intensifying. I
personally don't think he's going to end up in sandry Hand.
I think charges will be brought against him and he
will flee to the Middle East or somewhere, probably like
(06:33):
King Juan Carlos. Reports suggest that Sheikh Muhammad bin Zaid
al Nahan has offered Andrew accommodation in a luxurious Abu
Dhabi palace. Lowney believes such a move could quietly close
the chapter. It would suit everybody's purposes if Andrew simply
disappeared there, out of sight, out of mind. Daily Mail
(06:54):
columnist Amanda Plateu warned that failing to strip Princess Beatrice
and Princess Eugenie of their royal titles could lead to scrutiny, tears,
and abject humiliation for both women. She cited photographs of
Beatrice hosting a tea party for Saudi investors at the
Ritz Carlton in Riad, saying in a modern Britain, it
is no longer possible to pursue both royal duty and
(07:17):
lucrative business interests, especially where foreign autocracies are involved. Prince
Harry has reignited speculation about a possible return to Britain
after referring to the United States as the place where
he currently lives. The Duke made the remark in a
written piece released to mark Veteran's Day. The phrasing has
(07:38):
prompted fresh discussion over whether Harry, who moved to California
with Megan five years ago, might one day return to
the UK. But the Sussexes appears to be running out
of Hollywood good will. According to Page six, a well
placed industry source said there is not only no appetite
left for them in LA, but they've also worn through
any goodwill they had. Netflix quietly reduced their arrangement to
(08:02):
a first look partnership, a source told the outlet, they're
just hopeless and professional settings. The couple found themselves at
the center of poppy gait after attending Chris Janner's seventieth
birthday party over Remembrance weekend. Meghan's outfit noticeably lacked the
red poppy typically worn to honor fallen soldiers, though Harry
(08:22):
wore one on his tuxedo lapel. Sources told The Daily
Mail that Meghan's mission was practical. Poppies simply aren't widely
distributed in America. The critics weren't buying it. One royal
inside had told Radar Online by deliberately leaving it off,
she was making a statement of contempt toward both him
and the entire family. More palace in just a moment.
(08:47):
Meghan has announced a holiday edition of her Netflix lifestyle
series With Love Meghan, will debut December third. The timing
may prove awkward. The special falls on the same day
King Charles and Queen Camilla will while welcome the President
of Germany for a full state visit at Windsor Castle.
According to Rida Online, the holiday special will likely be
the last installment of her much criticized lifestyle series. In
(09:12):
a mysterious development, a photo featuring Meghan disappeared from Kim
Kardashian's Instagram post celebrating Chris Jenner's birthday. The reality star
had originally included the image and a carousel of photos,
but quietly removed the picture featuring the Duchess without explanation.
Prince William reportedly asked to scale back his royal workload
(09:33):
in twenty twenty four as he struggled through what he
described as the hardest year of his life, but King
Charles urged him to think again. According to royal biographer
Robert Jobson's new book, The Windsor Legacy, William was shaken
to the core by the duel cancer diagnosis of his
father and wife, but Charles denied the request for a
brief reprieve. William was also said to be hurt and
(09:56):
angry after what he perceived as a royal own goal
his his father's decision to Knight David Beckham on the
very same day the Prince launched his Earth Shot Prize
ceremony in Brazil. According to the Royalist, the timing left
William feeling undermined during a week meant to highlight his
global environmental initiative. Of all weeks, this was one week
he needed the family to be pulling for him. Instead,
(10:18):
it felt like they were pulling against him. The King's
allies and sister. The clash was coincidental, with one source
saying his Majesty is immensely proud of his son's work.
Investitures are scheduled months in advance, but a long time
courtiers said the dynamic has changed since the King's cancer diagnosis.
The change of rain is happening in real time, whether
they admit it or not. William opened up about navigating
(10:44):
parento it during one of the most difficult chapters of
his family's life, speaking to Brazilian TV during his Rio trip.
Every family has its own difficulties and its own challenges.
We choose to communicate a lot more without children. That
has its good thing and its bad things. Sometimes you
feel you are over sharing when you probably shouldn't, But
(11:04):
most of the time hiding stuff from them doesn't work. Catherine,
Princess of Wales attended the Service of Remembrance at the
National Memorial Arboretum and Stafford him making her first appearance
at the annual ceremony. Wearing a military style black coat
and two poppies pinned to her lapel. The future Queen
joined atten ds in observing the two minutes silence before
(11:25):
stepping forward to lay a wreath of red poppies. Social
media erupted after the BBC repeatedly referred to the princess
by her maiden name during coverage, a slip viewers branded
disrespectful and inexcusable. Dozens took to social media insisting the
broadcaster should know better. More palace in just a moment.
(11:50):
As Andrew faces potential exile in Abu Dhabi, Congress, testimony
requests and the weight of decades of scandal finally catching
up with him, the monarchy presses forward. William and Kate
demonstrate what modern royal service looks like. Charles attempts to
manage both present and future, and the Sussexes continue their
California existence, caught between celebrity aspiration and royal resentment. The
(12:14):
woman who once feared a dark forces now drowns her
anxiety in the dog house bar. The man who brought
prostitutes into Buckingham Palace for years now demands guarantees from
a nephew who has every reason to cut him loose.
And somewhere in the archives let us from Diana to
Sarah Ferguson sit waiting perhaps the final bargaining chip, And
again that's already been lost. The floodgates have opened. Former staff,
(12:38):
diplomats and protection officers are lining up to tell their stories.
And Andrew mount Batten Dash Windsor, the man who believed
rules never applied to him, discovers that history has a
long memory and an appetite for truth. Then there you
have it. If you'd like to email us wor addresses
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(13:00):
We're on Facebook and Instagram. Don't forget today is Sunday.
There's a lot out on Palace Intrigue, including Crown and
Controversy Prince Andrew, our new series dealing with the life
of Prince Andrew from his early years to his fall
from grace. You can find that link in the show notes,
or just search for Crown and Controversy Prince Andrew. I'm
(13:23):
Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace
intrigue in good times.