December 17, 2025 • 8 mins
King Charles hosts his annual pre Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, with around seventy relatives invited, as the Wales family arrives with the children and senior royals gather ahead of Sandringham. But several notable figures are missing, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Sarah Ferguson, and the Sussexes, while Beatrice and Eugenie return to the wider family fold.
We also revisit striking comments from Sarah Ferguson’s late mother Susan Barrantes about the York separation and the threat of telling “not very pleasant” stories about the Crown, as author Andrew Lownie argues the Royal Household always feared a memoir.
Plus, local backlash grows over security closures around William and Catherine’s new Forest Lodge home, and Harry and Meghan confirm a new Netflix film project adapting Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date.
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.
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We also revisit striking comments from Sarah Ferguson’s late mother Susan Barrantes about the York separation and the threat of telling “not very pleasant” stories about the Crown, as author Andrew Lownie argues the Royal Household always feared a memoir.
Plus, local backlash grows over security closures around William and Catherine’s new Forest Lodge home, and Harry and Meghan confirm a new Netflix film project adapting Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date.
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):
Calarogus Shark Media. Now, hello and welcome to Pallace Intrigue.
I am your host, Mark Francis. King Charles hosted his
annual pre Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, bringing together senior
and wider members of the royal family, but several notable
figures were absent from the gathering. Around seventy relatives were
(00:25):
invited to the traditional event, which takes place about a
week before Christmas and allows family members to meet up
ahead of the festive period, even though not all will
attend celebrations. At Sandringham. The Prince and Princess of Wales
arrived with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, while
guests also included the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh with
their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, Princess Anne and her husband
(00:48):
Sir Timothy Lawrence, the Duke of Kent, and Lady Sarah Chatto. However,
four key royals did not attend. Andrew mount Batton, Windsor
and his former wife Sarah Ferguson were both missing. Also
absent Worth, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Hary
and Megan markle I, believed to be in Montecito spending
Christmas with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lillabit. Princess
(01:11):
Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who had skipped the Princess of
Wales's Carol concert earlier in the month, did attend the lunch,
signaling their return to the wider family fold for the
festive gathering. Andrew was seen riding in Windsor. The former Duke,
who was not expected to join the family at Sandringham
on Christmas Day, appeared alone and subdued as he rode
(01:33):
through Windsor Great Park in heavy rain, wearing a waterproof
coat and riding hat. He was accompanied by a member
of staff on horseback as they made a slow circuit
of the grounds. Speaking to the Italian magazine Gent, Sarah
Ferguson's late mother, Susan Barrantes, had given a stark assessment
of her daughter's separation from Prince Andrew and the fears
(01:53):
surrounding it. In the interview, Barrantes did not hide her
feelings about her former son in law, saying he did
not have any character. She also suggested that Sarah's deepest
concern at the time was the possibility of losing her
two young daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie following the breakdown of
the marriage. Barantes warned that Sarah would not go quietly
if that were to happen, saying, Sarah will not accept
(02:16):
easily losing her children, and if she does, she has
prepared to tell stories that are not very pleasant about
the English crown. So these comments have been revisited by
Andrew Lowney, author of Entitle The Rise and Fall of
the House of York. Referring to that interview, Lowney said
Fergie was determined to avoid the fate of her mother
and sister Jane, who had both lost custody of their
(02:37):
children when their marriages broke up, adding that her trump
card was that she could always sell a kiss and
Tell memoir. Lowney went on to claim that for Sarah's
former mother in law, the late Queen Elizabeth, this possibility
was a constant concern, saying the threat was ever present
and the Royal household knew it always would be. William
(02:57):
and Kate's moved to Forrest Lodge continues to be unpopular
as security measures put in place ahead of their arrival
have caused significant upset in the local community, with some
neighbors describing emotional reactions to the changes. Former BBC Royal
correspondent Jenny Bond told The Mirror William and Catherine must
be aware that there is some local disquiet about the
(03:18):
diversion around their house, but it was only to be
expected and I'm sure people will soon get used to
the longer route and understand the need for security. Despite
Bond's opinions, some residents have said they were distressed to
learn that areas they had walked or ridden through for
decades were being permanently closed. One local resident told The Mirror,
(03:38):
I ran into a woman there that I recognized, and
she said to me that when she got the email,
she cried for people who have walked there for years.
It's so sad. Another added everyone I met was upset.
It is understood that around one hundred and fifty acres
of previously accessible land have been closed, with a personal
exclusion zone of approximately two point three miles in po
(04:00):
used around the eight bedroom property. Anyone caught trespassing within
the protected area could face arrest. Tina, a dog walker
who lives near Forest Lodge described months of visible preparations
ahead of the Famili's move, including trenches, new fencing, resurfaced
drives and the installation of cameras. Tina also argued that
the scale of the closures had been underestimated, saying by
(04:23):
closing Cranbourne Gate car Park and an area of land
behind Forest Lodge about three times the size of Saint
James Park, thousands of people from miles around have been affected.
One wonders how it would go over if for Public
Park were closed to accommodate a new home for Harry
and Megan, more palacing just a moment. Prince Ary and
(04:46):
Meghan Markele have offered an update on their evolving relationship
with Netflix, confirming they are moving ahead with a new
film project under their revised agreement with the streaming platform.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, though their production company
Archwell are to developing a screen adaptation of The Wedding Date,
the best selling novel by Jasmine Gillery first published in
twenty eighteen. The project will be produced in partnership with
(05:09):
Tracy Ryerson and falls under the couple's multi year first
look deal with Netflix. The Romantic comedy centers on a
driven political strategist whose chance encounter and a left leads
her to attend a wedding as a strangers plus one,
ultimately challenging her skepticism about love. Deadline described the story
as one in which a chance elevator encounter on the
(05:31):
part of a career driven political strategists led to posing
as a stranger's wedding date. While the strategist has stopped
believing in romance, she discovers that love has a way
of showing up when you least expected. In the News
dot co dot uk, Daniel Elser writes, It's meant to
be the time of the year for miracles, right But
so far this festive season, things Prince Harran, Megan, the
(05:54):
Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been, as Jesus told
the Apostles, a real bummer, a quiet night, and a
main with no phone alerts might be sounding like quite
the nice thing right now for these two. On a
human level, this is all just so very sad. A
woman once so very close to her daddy is now
left seemingly learning about her father losing a leg via
(06:14):
the mail. And on a pr level, this has been
a shambles of epic proportions. In the real world, we've
had Thomas losing a foot in the Philippines hospital, the
only place he can afford to live, and begging his
daughter via his medium of choice, a Daily Mail's journal dictaphone,
to see him one more time before I die. Over there,
on Netflix, we've got Meghan in a twelve million dollar
(06:35):
house with its own crafting barn, trimming trees and sprouting
lines about love and family and pine cones. The broader
issue for Megan is that it's impossible to reconcile the
image of someone preaching about joy and togetherness when she
and her husband appear to have the sum total of
two family members they have not fallen out with and
can actually invite to Christmas lunch, her mother Saorria Ragland
(06:56):
and her niece Ashley Hale. That Love Holiday Special has
failed to crack on Netflix Top ten Most Watch Shows,
and after the usual stories poking giddy fun at her
raw Broccolini wreath and poor children getting cloying handwritten notes
instead of Mini Mars bars and a break from their
high hemp seed diets and their advent calendar, well it
has disappeared sans trace. None of this is how the
(07:19):
year started, with the forty four year old Trila La
skipping along the beach in an artsy black and white
video to announce her return to Instagram and firing the
starting gun on Megan Inc. Since February, she's euthanized American
Riviera Orchard birth as Ever, released two seasons and a
holiday special of With Love, gotten four point two million
(07:39):
instant followers, and released a crate mixed short bread mix,
herbal Teas, spreads Galore, Candles, Arose, a Sauvignon Blanc and
a sparkling and just last Week chocolates. Unfortunately, this has
so far not exactly translated into her being crowned the
natural successor to Martha's lifestyle crown, or suggesting she's on
her way to out Gooping Goop on the balance sheet
(08:01):
for the Sussexes, there are so many things hanging in
the balance this holiday season. Their TV careers, their businesses,
whether they'll ever be able to return to the UK
for long stretches. Bet Meghan is cocker Hoop over that possibility,
their bank balances and their brand, and they have it.
If you'd like to email us addresses the Palace Intrigue
at gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple
(08:22):
at the apples and leave us a nice review from
enjoying the show, Mark Francis My thanks to John McDermott.
This is Palace Intrigue in good terms.
Calarogus Shark Media. Now, hello and welcome to Pallace Intrigue.
I am your host, Mark Francis. King Charles hosted his
annual pre Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, bringing together senior
and wider members of the royal family, but several notable
figures were absent from the gathering. Around seventy relatives were
(00:25):
invited to the traditional event, which takes place about a
week before Christmas and allows family members to meet up
ahead of the festive period, even though not all will
attend celebrations. At Sandringham. The Prince and Princess of Wales
arrived with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, while
guests also included the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh with
their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, Princess Anne and her husband
(00:48):
Sir Timothy Lawrence, the Duke of Kent, and Lady Sarah Chatto. However,
four key royals did not attend. Andrew mount Batton, Windsor
and his former wife Sarah Ferguson were both missing. Also
absent Worth, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Hary
and Megan markle I, believed to be in Montecito spending
Christmas with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lillabit. Princess
(01:11):
Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who had skipped the Princess of
Wales's Carol concert earlier in the month, did attend the lunch,
signaling their return to the wider family fold for the
festive gathering. Andrew was seen riding in Windsor. The former Duke,
who was not expected to join the family at Sandringham
on Christmas Day, appeared alone and subdued as he rode
(01:33):
through Windsor Great Park in heavy rain, wearing a waterproof
coat and riding hat. He was accompanied by a member
of staff on horseback as they made a slow circuit
of the grounds. Speaking to the Italian magazine Gent, Sarah
Ferguson's late mother, Susan Barrantes, had given a stark assessment
of her daughter's separation from Prince Andrew and the fears
(01:53):
surrounding it. In the interview, Barrantes did not hide her
feelings about her former son in law, saying he did
not have any character. She also suggested that Sarah's deepest
concern at the time was the possibility of losing her
two young daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie following the breakdown of
the marriage. Barantes warned that Sarah would not go quietly
if that were to happen, saying, Sarah will not accept
(02:16):
easily losing her children, and if she does, she has
prepared to tell stories that are not very pleasant about
the English crown. So these comments have been revisited by
Andrew Lowney, author of Entitle The Rise and Fall of
the House of York. Referring to that interview, Lowney said
Fergie was determined to avoid the fate of her mother
and sister Jane, who had both lost custody of their
(02:37):
children when their marriages broke up, adding that her trump
card was that she could always sell a kiss and
Tell memoir. Lowney went on to claim that for Sarah's
former mother in law, the late Queen Elizabeth, this possibility
was a constant concern, saying the threat was ever present
and the Royal household knew it always would be. William
(02:57):
and Kate's moved to Forrest Lodge continues to be unpopular
as security measures put in place ahead of their arrival
have caused significant upset in the local community, with some
neighbors describing emotional reactions to the changes. Former BBC Royal
correspondent Jenny Bond told The Mirror William and Catherine must
be aware that there is some local disquiet about the
(03:18):
diversion around their house, but it was only to be
expected and I'm sure people will soon get used to
the longer route and understand the need for security. Despite
Bond's opinions, some residents have said they were distressed to
learn that areas they had walked or ridden through for
decades were being permanently closed. One local resident told The Mirror,
(03:38):
I ran into a woman there that I recognized, and
she said to me that when she got the email,
she cried for people who have walked there for years.
It's so sad. Another added everyone I met was upset.
It is understood that around one hundred and fifty acres
of previously accessible land have been closed, with a personal
exclusion zone of approximately two point three miles in po
(04:00):
used around the eight bedroom property. Anyone caught trespassing within
the protected area could face arrest. Tina, a dog walker
who lives near Forest Lodge described months of visible preparations
ahead of the Famili's move, including trenches, new fencing, resurfaced
drives and the installation of cameras. Tina also argued that
the scale of the closures had been underestimated, saying by
(04:23):
closing Cranbourne Gate car Park and an area of land
behind Forest Lodge about three times the size of Saint
James Park, thousands of people from miles around have been affected.
One wonders how it would go over if for Public
Park were closed to accommodate a new home for Harry
and Megan, more palacing just a moment. Prince Ary and
(04:46):
Meghan Markele have offered an update on their evolving relationship
with Netflix, confirming they are moving ahead with a new
film project under their revised agreement with the streaming platform.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, though their production company
Archwell are to developing a screen adaptation of The Wedding Date,
the best selling novel by Jasmine Gillery first published in
twenty eighteen. The project will be produced in partnership with
(05:09):
Tracy Ryerson and falls under the couple's multi year first
look deal with Netflix. The Romantic comedy centers on a
driven political strategist whose chance encounter and a left leads
her to attend a wedding as a strangers plus one,
ultimately challenging her skepticism about love. Deadline described the story
as one in which a chance elevator encounter on the
(05:31):
part of a career driven political strategists led to posing
as a stranger's wedding date. While the strategist has stopped
believing in romance, she discovers that love has a way
of showing up when you least expected. In the News
dot co dot uk, Daniel Elser writes, It's meant to
be the time of the year for miracles, right But
so far this festive season, things Prince Harran, Megan, the
(05:54):
Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been, as Jesus told
the Apostles, a real bummer, a quiet night, and a
main with no phone alerts might be sounding like quite
the nice thing right now for these two. On a
human level, this is all just so very sad. A
woman once so very close to her daddy is now
left seemingly learning about her father losing a leg via
(06:14):
the mail. And on a pr level, this has been
a shambles of epic proportions. In the real world, we've
had Thomas losing a foot in the Philippines hospital, the
only place he can afford to live, and begging his
daughter via his medium of choice, a Daily Mail's journal dictaphone,
to see him one more time before I die. Over there,
on Netflix, we've got Meghan in a twelve million dollar
(06:35):
house with its own crafting barn, trimming trees and sprouting
lines about love and family and pine cones. The broader
issue for Megan is that it's impossible to reconcile the
image of someone preaching about joy and togetherness when she
and her husband appear to have the sum total of
two family members they have not fallen out with and
can actually invite to Christmas lunch, her mother Saorria Ragland
(06:56):
and her niece Ashley Hale. That Love Holiday Special has
failed to crack on Netflix Top ten Most Watch Shows,
and after the usual stories poking giddy fun at her
raw Broccolini wreath and poor children getting cloying handwritten notes
instead of Mini Mars bars and a break from their
high hemp seed diets and their advent calendar, well it
has disappeared sans trace. None of this is how the
(07:19):
year started, with the forty four year old Trila La
skipping along the beach in an artsy black and white
video to announce her return to Instagram and firing the
starting gun on Megan Inc. Since February, she's euthanized American
Riviera Orchard birth as Ever, released two seasons and a
holiday special of With Love, gotten four point two million
(07:39):
instant followers, and released a crate mixed short bread mix,
herbal Teas, spreads Galore, Candles, Arose, a Sauvignon Blanc and
a sparkling and just last Week chocolates. Unfortunately, this has
so far not exactly translated into her being crowned the
natural successor to Martha's lifestyle crown, or suggesting she's on
her way to out Gooping Goop on the balance sheet
(08:01):
for the Sussexes, there are so many things hanging in
the balance this holiday season. Their TV careers, their businesses,
whether they'll ever be able to return to the UK
for long stretches. Bet Meghan is cocker Hoop over that possibility,
their bank balances and their brand, and they have it.
If you'd like to email us addresses the Palace Intrigue
at gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple
(08:22):
at the apples and leave us a nice review from
enjoying the show, Mark Francis My thanks to John McDermott.
This is Palace Intrigue in good terms.
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