November 5, 2025 • 11 mins
In Brazil, William leans into sport and climate, from Copacabana volleys to Earthshot’s halfway-point message of “urgent optimism.” Back home, the Wales family shifts to Forest Lodge after a difficult run at Adelaide Cottage, we explain how the Crown Estate actually works, note Harry’s curiously timed overlapping Toronto schedule, and wrap with Sir David Beckham’s proud day at Windsor Castle.
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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 is fully available now for everyone. Season 2 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 2 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):
Callaroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue Game
your host, Mark Francis. Prince William kicked off his visit
to Rio de Janeiro with sand between his toes and
a smile on his face, going barefoot for a lively
game of beach volleyball on Copacabana. The forty three year
(00:25):
old Prince of Wales joined Olympian Carolina Solberg and her
students from the Lavonte Institute, a local beach volleyball school
that helps underprivileged children through sport. Witnesses said the heir
to the throne threw himself into the match with enthusiasm,
diving across the sand, winning several points and sharing jubilant
high fives with Solberg after each success. After the match,
(00:48):
William laughed and said that was brilliant. Solberg returned the compliment, remarking,
he's tall, he can hit. I think he could be
really good if he practiced more. He was having fun.
Was amazing to play with him. It was such a pleasure.
Before taking to the court, the Prince met local emergency
responders and lifeguards who patrol Rio's famous beaches. He watched
a mock see rescue operation and thanked the teams for
(01:10):
their work protecting the public. Earlier in the day, Williams
scored another kind of point at the Marikanya Stadium, where
he took part in football drills with local youngsters and
former Brazilian star Cafu. After a penalty shootout with fourteen
year old goalkeeper Pedro Enrique, the Prince beamed as the
pitch erupted in cheers and high fives. The royals day
(01:32):
began high above the city atop Sugarloaf Mountain, where he
was welcomed by Rio's Mayor, Eduardo Payers, who presented him
with the ceremonial keys to the city, a gesture traditionally
reserved for the carnival King. William's five day trip marks
the fifth anniversary of his Earthshot Prize, which recognizes innovation
in environmental protection. He will present this year's awards at
(01:54):
Rio's Museum tomorrow before heading to Bedlem to attend the
Yun's COP thirty climate summit. William is hoping to change
the narrative away from anything about Uncle Andrew to the
climate emergency. Writing ahead of his departure, William said, with
the world's eyes turning to Brazil this week. There is
no better place to celebrate bold climate leadership. Hosting the
(02:17):
earth Shot Prize allows us to not only recognize those
driving change, but to be inspired by them. When we
work together with optimism and courage, a more sustainable future
is within our reach. The ten year earth Shot Prize
and initiative, founded by William, awards one million pounds each
to five projects offering innovative solutions to environmental challenges. It
(02:37):
was reported the King worked with William on today's speech.
The Prince spoke to Hello prior to his trip, saying
urgent optimism is at the heart of his approach to
protecting the planet. Describing it as the heartbeat of the
earth Shot Prize, William said, it's the belief that although
the challenges we face are immense, the solutions are within reach,
and we must act with speed and conviction to bring
(02:59):
them to life. It's not blind hope. It's hoped, backed
by evidence, by ingenuity, and by the courage of those
who refuse to give up on our planet. William, who
launched the Earthshot Prize with Sir David Attenborough in twenty twenty,
will host this year's awards today in Rio, a city
he calls the perfect place to celebrate the power of
environmental innovation. He told Hello, I feel deeply honored to
(03:23):
be heading to Brazil, the country of extraordinary natural beauty
and cultural vibrancy. Rio, with its energy, its people, and
its iconic landscapes, feels like the perfect place to celebrate
the power of environmental innovation. This region is home to
some of the world's most vital ecosystems and some of
its most passionate environmental defenders. By hosting the prize in Brazil,
(03:45):
we're shining a light on the solutions emerging from this
part of the world and drawing global attention to the
urgency and opportunity of climate action. This year marks the
halfway point in the ten year Earthshot Initiative, which awards
one million pounds each the five projects. So far when
A and finalists have raised more than five hundred million dollars,
protected over a million hectares of land and ocean, and
(04:06):
helped species recover from the brink of extinction. William also
attended the United for Wildlife Summit in Rio, focusing on
indigenous communities and tackling environmental crime behind the scenes. Who
remains hands on. According to Earthshot's chief executive Jason Nolf,
the Prince is very happy to roll up his sleeves,
get on the phone or travel to meetings. He's always
(04:28):
thinking about how he can help create new opportunities for
our finalists. Now, says William's positive attitude and optimism are infectious,
adding everything comes from him. People want to work with
the earth Shot Prize because of the optimism and can
do attitude at the heart of the organization that comes
straight from the Prince. Before William headed to Brazil, the
Prince and Princess of Wales hosted a small thank you
(04:51):
celebration for builders and staff who worked around the clock
to help them move early into their new home, Forest
Lodge and wins a Great Park. William and Kate reportedly
served thanks snacks at the York Club at private pub
for Crown at State residents to express their gratitude for
the team's effort in completing the move weeks ahead of schedule.
The family's relocation marks their official farewell to Adelaide Cottage,
(05:12):
which William is said to have privately described as cursed.
The couple had moved there from Kensington Palace in twenty
twenty two, hoping for a quieter life near the late Queen,
but within weeks of their arrival, the Queen died and
the following month's brought family strain, the release of spare
in both Kate and the King's cancer diagnosis, and inside
had told The Daily Mail, every part of Adelaide Cottage
(05:33):
sadly had an unpleasant memory associated with it. It's a
lovely house, but they experienced some of their most challenging
times there. As family forest Lodge and eight bedroom Georgian
homes surrounded by one hundred and fifty acres of secured land,
will serve as the Wales Forever Home. The couple have
personally paid for the move and renovations and will pay
market rent to the Crown State. The Crown at State
(05:56):
is a massive portfolio of land and property across England,
Wales and North Island that legally belongs to the British Monarch,
but it isn't private property, nor is it owned by
the government. It is considered the Sovereign's public estate. Created
in seventeen sixty when King George the Third handed over
the estate's income to Parliament in exchange for an annual
payment the Civil List. It has since funded both the
(06:18):
monarchy and the UK Government. Today, it's revenues go mainly
to His Majesty's Treasury eighty eight percent the Treasury in
twelve percent back to the Monarch through the Sovereign Grant,
which supports official royal duties. Valued at around fifteen point
eight billion pounds, the Crown Estate is one of the
UK's largest property managers. Its assets include much of central
(06:40):
London's prime real estate, farmland, forests, Ascot Racecourse, Windsor Great Park,
and over half of the country's coastline and seabed. It
even controls the rights to all naturally occurring gold and
silver in the UK, known as mines Royal. For now,
William and Kate's nearest royal neighbor will be Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,
who is preparing to vacate Royal Lodge less than two
(07:01):
miles away. The sussexs never seem to learn. With today
being a major pre announced day for the future, King
William Harry has decided to head to Toronto for a
series of engagements in support of veterans ahead of Remembrance Day,
which isn't until Tuesday the eleventh. The Duke of Sussex
will spend today and Thursday in the Canadian city, where
(07:22):
he will meet with veterans, attend charity events and pay
tribute to those who have served. This morning, Harry will
take part in a number of engagements before joining a
private lunch hosted by the True Patriot Love Foundation, which
supports Canadian military personnel, veterans and their families. Later in
the day, he will attend a fundraising dinner for the
Halo Trust, the landmine clearance charity once championed by his
(07:46):
late mother, Princess de Hannah. On Thursday, the princi will
visit the Sunnybrook Veterans Center for a private meeting with residents,
before returning that evening for True Patriot Love's National Tribute dinner.
A spokesperson for Sunnybrook confirmed the visit, but said the
event would be private. The True Patriot Love Foundation declined
to comment on the details of the royals schedule. In
(08:10):
The Royalist, Tom Sykes writes Brothers at War William's Beach
Volleyball diplomacy undone by Harry's remembrance gambit. Sykes reveals aids
to the Duke of Sussex said Buckingham Palace had been
informed as a courtesy, adding pointedly that Harry would not
need to announce such trips at the last minute if
he had global security arrangements in place inside palace walls.
(08:33):
The move has raised eyebrows. Williams's people don't believe in coincidence,
one inside had told Sykes. They believe in choreography. Harry
knows exactly what he's doing. Sources close to the Wales
households say preparations are under way to redefine the monarchy's
outer circle in anticipation of William's reign. William wants a
slim down monarchy, one friend said, and Harry doesn't fit
(08:54):
the silhouette more palace in just a moment. It's a
very busy time in royal circles, as this next story
would be our lead on most days, William wasn't the
only one making soccer related royal news. His majesty as
knighted Sir David Beckham. Sir David has described receiving his
(09:15):
knighthood as the proudest moment of his life and revealed
that his majesty even inspired the suit he wore for
the occasion. The fifty year old former England captain was
honored for his services to sport and charity during a
ceremony at Windsor Castle. Beckham arrived in a gray morning
suit designed by his wife, Victoria Lady Beckham, who joined
him for the event alongside his parents, Ted and Sandra.
(09:38):
Speaking afterwards, Beckham said the King had noticed his outfit.
He was quite impressed with my suit. He's kind of
the most elegantly dressed man that I know, so he
inspired quite a few of my looks over the years
and he definitely inspired this look. It was something that
my wife made me. I looked at old pictures on
him when he was quite young in morning suits and
I was like, Okay, that's what I want to wear.
So I gave it to my wife and she did it.
(10:00):
The footballers said he has been deeply moved ever since
learning of the honor in the King's Birthday honors list
earlier this year. I've been very obviously lucky in my
career to have won what I've won and done what
I've done, but to receive an honor like this of
a night is beyond anything I had ever thought I
would receive. To be honest, a young boy from East
end of London born in Leyton Stone. Here at Windsor
(10:22):
Castle being honored by his Majesty the King, the most
important and the most respected institution in the world. It's
quite a moment. This is, without doubt my proudest moment.
Beckham said he felt hugely honored to be recognized not
just for football, but for his charitable work, which he
began as a teenager. I realized early on that people
listened to me and that was a powerful tool in
(10:43):
the world of charity, he said. I just found very
quickly that we could make change with things that I
said and things I got involved in, and I think
that's why it's so important to me. A long time
Unitseff Goodwill Ambassador, Beckham reflected on his motivation for philanthropy.
All the things that I do I do out of love.
I don't do it because I'm forced to do it.
I don't do it because i have to do it.
(11:04):
I do it because it's important and they have it.
If you'd like to email us our addresses the palasinrig
at gmail dot com. Don't forget we have a new
series out called Crown and Controversy. Prince Andrew following the
rise and Fall of Prince Andrew. Check it out wherever
you get your podcasts, or just look for the link
(11:26):
in the show notes. I'm Mirk Francis. My thanks to
John McDermott, This Palace intrigue and good terms
Callaroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue Game
your host, Mark Francis. Prince William kicked off his visit
to Rio de Janeiro with sand between his toes and
a smile on his face, going barefoot for a lively
game of beach volleyball on Copacabana. The forty three year
(00:25):
old Prince of Wales joined Olympian Carolina Solberg and her
students from the Lavonte Institute, a local beach volleyball school
that helps underprivileged children through sport. Witnesses said the heir
to the throne threw himself into the match with enthusiasm,
diving across the sand, winning several points and sharing jubilant
high fives with Solberg after each success. After the match,
(00:48):
William laughed and said that was brilliant. Solberg returned the compliment, remarking,
he's tall, he can hit. I think he could be
really good if he practiced more. He was having fun.
Was amazing to play with him. It was such a pleasure.
Before taking to the court, the Prince met local emergency
responders and lifeguards who patrol Rio's famous beaches. He watched
a mock see rescue operation and thanked the teams for
(01:10):
their work protecting the public. Earlier in the day, Williams
scored another kind of point at the Marikanya Stadium, where
he took part in football drills with local youngsters and
former Brazilian star Cafu. After a penalty shootout with fourteen
year old goalkeeper Pedro Enrique, the Prince beamed as the
pitch erupted in cheers and high fives. The royals day
(01:32):
began high above the city atop Sugarloaf Mountain, where he
was welcomed by Rio's Mayor, Eduardo Payers, who presented him
with the ceremonial keys to the city, a gesture traditionally
reserved for the carnival King. William's five day trip marks
the fifth anniversary of his Earthshot Prize, which recognizes innovation
in environmental protection. He will present this year's awards at
(01:54):
Rio's Museum tomorrow before heading to Bedlem to attend the
Yun's COP thirty climate summit. William is hoping to change
the narrative away from anything about Uncle Andrew to the
climate emergency. Writing ahead of his departure, William said, with
the world's eyes turning to Brazil this week. There is
no better place to celebrate bold climate leadership. Hosting the
(02:17):
earth Shot Prize allows us to not only recognize those
driving change, but to be inspired by them. When we
work together with optimism and courage, a more sustainable future
is within our reach. The ten year earth Shot Prize
and initiative, founded by William, awards one million pounds each
to five projects offering innovative solutions to environmental challenges. It
(02:37):
was reported the King worked with William on today's speech.
The Prince spoke to Hello prior to his trip, saying
urgent optimism is at the heart of his approach to
protecting the planet. Describing it as the heartbeat of the
earth Shot Prize, William said, it's the belief that although
the challenges we face are immense, the solutions are within reach,
and we must act with speed and conviction to bring
(02:59):
them to life. It's not blind hope. It's hoped, backed
by evidence, by ingenuity, and by the courage of those
who refuse to give up on our planet. William, who
launched the Earthshot Prize with Sir David Attenborough in twenty twenty,
will host this year's awards today in Rio, a city
he calls the perfect place to celebrate the power of
environmental innovation. He told Hello, I feel deeply honored to
(03:23):
be heading to Brazil, the country of extraordinary natural beauty
and cultural vibrancy. Rio, with its energy, its people, and
its iconic landscapes, feels like the perfect place to celebrate
the power of environmental innovation. This region is home to
some of the world's most vital ecosystems and some of
its most passionate environmental defenders. By hosting the prize in Brazil,
(03:45):
we're shining a light on the solutions emerging from this
part of the world and drawing global attention to the
urgency and opportunity of climate action. This year marks the
halfway point in the ten year Earthshot Initiative, which awards
one million pounds each the five projects. So far when
A and finalists have raised more than five hundred million dollars,
protected over a million hectares of land and ocean, and
(04:06):
helped species recover from the brink of extinction. William also
attended the United for Wildlife Summit in Rio, focusing on
indigenous communities and tackling environmental crime behind the scenes. Who
remains hands on. According to Earthshot's chief executive Jason Nolf,
the Prince is very happy to roll up his sleeves,
get on the phone or travel to meetings. He's always
(04:28):
thinking about how he can help create new opportunities for
our finalists. Now, says William's positive attitude and optimism are infectious,
adding everything comes from him. People want to work with
the earth Shot Prize because of the optimism and can
do attitude at the heart of the organization that comes
straight from the Prince. Before William headed to Brazil, the
Prince and Princess of Wales hosted a small thank you
(04:51):
celebration for builders and staff who worked around the clock
to help them move early into their new home, Forest
Lodge and wins a Great Park. William and Kate reportedly
served thanks snacks at the York Club at private pub
for Crown at State residents to express their gratitude for
the team's effort in completing the move weeks ahead of schedule.
The family's relocation marks their official farewell to Adelaide Cottage,
(05:12):
which William is said to have privately described as cursed.
The couple had moved there from Kensington Palace in twenty
twenty two, hoping for a quieter life near the late Queen,
but within weeks of their arrival, the Queen died and
the following month's brought family strain, the release of spare
in both Kate and the King's cancer diagnosis, and inside
had told The Daily Mail, every part of Adelaide Cottage
(05:33):
sadly had an unpleasant memory associated with it. It's a
lovely house, but they experienced some of their most challenging
times there. As family forest Lodge and eight bedroom Georgian
homes surrounded by one hundred and fifty acres of secured land,
will serve as the Wales Forever Home. The couple have
personally paid for the move and renovations and will pay
market rent to the Crown State. The Crown at State
(05:56):
is a massive portfolio of land and property across England,
Wales and North Island that legally belongs to the British Monarch,
but it isn't private property, nor is it owned by
the government. It is considered the Sovereign's public estate. Created
in seventeen sixty when King George the Third handed over
the estate's income to Parliament in exchange for an annual
payment the Civil List. It has since funded both the
(06:18):
monarchy and the UK Government. Today, it's revenues go mainly
to His Majesty's Treasury eighty eight percent the Treasury in
twelve percent back to the Monarch through the Sovereign Grant,
which supports official royal duties. Valued at around fifteen point
eight billion pounds, the Crown Estate is one of the
UK's largest property managers. Its assets include much of central
(06:40):
London's prime real estate, farmland, forests, Ascot Racecourse, Windsor Great Park,
and over half of the country's coastline and seabed. It
even controls the rights to all naturally occurring gold and
silver in the UK, known as mines Royal. For now,
William and Kate's nearest royal neighbor will be Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,
who is preparing to vacate Royal Lodge less than two
(07:01):
miles away. The sussexs never seem to learn. With today
being a major pre announced day for the future, King
William Harry has decided to head to Toronto for a
series of engagements in support of veterans ahead of Remembrance Day,
which isn't until Tuesday the eleventh. The Duke of Sussex
will spend today and Thursday in the Canadian city, where
(07:22):
he will meet with veterans, attend charity events and pay
tribute to those who have served. This morning, Harry will
take part in a number of engagements before joining a
private lunch hosted by the True Patriot Love Foundation, which
supports Canadian military personnel, veterans and their families. Later in
the day, he will attend a fundraising dinner for the
Halo Trust, the landmine clearance charity once championed by his
(07:46):
late mother, Princess de Hannah. On Thursday, the princi will
visit the Sunnybrook Veterans Center for a private meeting with residents,
before returning that evening for True Patriot Love's National Tribute dinner.
A spokesperson for Sunnybrook confirmed the visit, but said the
event would be private. The True Patriot Love Foundation declined
to comment on the details of the royals schedule. In
(08:10):
The Royalist, Tom Sykes writes Brothers at War William's Beach
Volleyball diplomacy undone by Harry's remembrance gambit. Sykes reveals aids
to the Duke of Sussex said Buckingham Palace had been
informed as a courtesy, adding pointedly that Harry would not
need to announce such trips at the last minute if
he had global security arrangements in place inside palace walls.
(08:33):
The move has raised eyebrows. Williams's people don't believe in coincidence,
one inside had told Sykes. They believe in choreography. Harry
knows exactly what he's doing. Sources close to the Wales
households say preparations are under way to redefine the monarchy's
outer circle in anticipation of William's reign. William wants a
slim down monarchy, one friend said, and Harry doesn't fit
(08:54):
the silhouette more palace in just a moment. It's a
very busy time in royal circles, as this next story
would be our lead on most days, William wasn't the
only one making soccer related royal news. His majesty as
knighted Sir David Beckham. Sir David has described receiving his
(09:15):
knighthood as the proudest moment of his life and revealed
that his majesty even inspired the suit he wore for
the occasion. The fifty year old former England captain was
honored for his services to sport and charity during a
ceremony at Windsor Castle. Beckham arrived in a gray morning
suit designed by his wife, Victoria Lady Beckham, who joined
him for the event alongside his parents, Ted and Sandra.
(09:38):
Speaking afterwards, Beckham said the King had noticed his outfit.
He was quite impressed with my suit. He's kind of
the most elegantly dressed man that I know, so he
inspired quite a few of my looks over the years
and he definitely inspired this look. It was something that
my wife made me. I looked at old pictures on
him when he was quite young in morning suits and
I was like, Okay, that's what I want to wear.
So I gave it to my wife and she did it.
(10:00):
The footballers said he has been deeply moved ever since
learning of the honor in the King's Birthday honors list
earlier this year. I've been very obviously lucky in my
career to have won what I've won and done what
I've done, but to receive an honor like this of
a night is beyond anything I had ever thought I
would receive. To be honest, a young boy from East
end of London born in Leyton Stone. Here at Windsor
(10:22):
Castle being honored by his Majesty the King, the most
important and the most respected institution in the world. It's
quite a moment. This is, without doubt my proudest moment.
Beckham said he felt hugely honored to be recognized not
just for football, but for his charitable work, which he
began as a teenager. I realized early on that people
listened to me and that was a powerful tool in
(10:43):
the world of charity, he said. I just found very
quickly that we could make change with things that I
said and things I got involved in, and I think
that's why it's so important to me. A long time
Unitseff Goodwill Ambassador, Beckham reflected on his motivation for philanthropy.
All the things that I do I do out of love.
I don't do it because I'm forced to do it.
I don't do it because i have to do it.
(11:04):
I do it because it's important and they have it.
If you'd like to email us our addresses the palasinrig
at gmail dot com. Don't forget we have a new
series out called Crown and Controversy. Prince Andrew following the
rise and Fall of Prince Andrew. Check it out wherever
you get your podcasts, or just look for the link
(11:26):
in the show notes. I'm Mirk Francis. My thanks to
John McDermott, This Palace intrigue and good terms
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