December 1, 2025 • 8 mins
Speculation grows that Sarah Ferguson may be preparing a high-profile interview as the Andrew scandal intensifies. Reports suggest the pair are no longer welcome at London’s exclusive Annabel’s club, Andrew’s Freedom of the City could face review, and commentators warn both are struggling under the pressure. New claims emerge about Princess Anne’s furious reaction during the toe-sucking scandal of the nineteen-nineties, while King Charles is said to be quietly considering occasional royal duties for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — even as Beatrice’s recent Saudi Arabia appearance sparks concern inside the Palace.
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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):
Calorogus Shark Media that hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.
I am your host, Mark Francis. There is renewed speculation
that Sarah Ferguson may be preparing to give a high
profile interview addressing the fallout surrounding Andrew Taur TV presenter
Mark Dolan told Sky News Australia she feels that she's
(00:26):
been thrown under the bus, that it was Andrew's ill
advised relationship with the disgraced X financier, and therefore she's
got the record to set straight. She needs the cash
and it's very possible that she will sign a million
dollar deal to spill the beans. The big problem is
for Charles because this whole scandal threatens to taint his
entire rain as monarch. We hear a Palace Intrigue would
(00:48):
encourage all parties to get this done soon. Is there
a Christmas season advertising dollars to be captured by additional downloads?
Just wait until next week. We're about to have Megan's
Not Christmas Special and Kate's Concert to unpack. Andrew and
Sarah may be facing an awkward social dilemma. Amid reports
that they are no longer welcome at the exclusive London
members club Annabells, despite their daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie
(01:12):
continuing to enjoy full access. The Mayfair institution, founded in
nineteen sixty three by Mark Burley and long associated with
high profile figures including Frank Sinatra, Princess Diana and McJagger,
has always prided itself on its privacy and selectivity. Membership
currently costs in the region of thirty seven hundred pounds
a year. According to The Daily Mail, Insiders suggest that
(01:35):
the former Duke and Duchess could be denied entry should
they attempt to visit. One source was quoted as saying
the pair would be turned away, adding that their type
of notoriety is not what the club needs. Any such
measure would apply it not only to Annabel's, but to
its four sister venues, including Marx, all owned by Richard
Kerring's Burly Group. The source explained that both Annabells and
(02:00):
Mars have very public facing entrances, so it would not
be a great look for the Burly Group to have
Andrew or Sarah pictured outside. The reported ban would not
affect their daughters, who remain members. Observers note that this
could make for a very awkward moment should the family
attempt to arrive together. There is also renewed scrutiny over
Andrew's Freedom of the City of London, a ceremonial status
(02:22):
he acquired by patrimony through his father, Prince Philip. A
spokesperson for the City of London Corporation told the Son
Andrew received the honor by virtue of patrimony, which is
inherited as the child of a freeman. Applications via patrimony
are not considered by our elected members. The City Corporation
(02:42):
is listening and will continue to listen to concerns raised,
and it will carefully consider the rules that govern how
a freedom is given, including the circumstances in which and
the procedure by which it can be removed. The author
of Entitle The Rise and Fall of the House of York,
Andrew Lowney, hasuggested Andrew's passport be taken away. Louney told
(03:04):
The Mirror Andrew needs to be investigated as a flight
risk and his passport should be surrendered. I think there's
a good chance Andrew would avoid any possible legal charges
by going to the Middle East. Like King Juan Carlos.
He said that would certainly suit the royal family. If
the authorities are serious about investigating him and holding him
to account, then his passport needs to be confiscated. Members
(03:26):
of the royal family are reportedly expressing concern about the
well being of Andrew and Sarah. Royal commentator Robert Jobson
was asked how the pair were coping amid the ongoing controversy.
Jobson told the Son not very well. Don't think. I
don't think even members of the royal family who have
taken action are concerned about both their mental health, jobs
and stress that the wider context could not be ignored.
(03:50):
I think that most of all, you've got to be
concerned about the victims of the Epstein scandal, and that,
to me is the biggest worry. They're human beings. A
lot has been taken away. The reports suggest Sarah has
been confiding in friends and staff as the pressure increases.
Speaking to The Sun, one source claim that she and
Andrew had been heard having some pretty intense conversations about
(04:10):
what is going on, with Sarah described as panicking about
what comes next. Another source said she is not in
a good place and massively on edge. Adding Luckily, Sarah
has quite a few staff working for her who really
like her, and she is really leaning on them for support.
She drinks in there with friends and staff to escape
from what is going on in her life generally, and
(04:31):
while she is there she takes advice on what to
do next. Well, palasin just a moment. A new account
of events in the early nineteen nineties suggests that Princess
Anne was so angered by these scandal surrounding Sarah that
she came close to physically confronting her. The allegations appear
in Andrew Lowney's book entitled The Rise and Fall of
(04:54):
the House of York. The controversy erupted after photographs were
published of the duchess on holiday in the south of
France with the American businessman John Bryan, described at the
time as her financial adviser. The images, which showed Brian
kissing Sarah's toes, caused deep embarrassment for the royal family.
Lowney writes that Sarah traveled to Bowmorl after the trip
(05:14):
and arrived to find members of the family at breakfast
reading the newspapers containing the photographs. He records that she
entered the breakfast room to find everyone reading the story
and fled. According to Lowneye, one individual who was present
told biographer Chris Hutchins that the Princess Royal came close
to throttling Sarah and that during dinner she made her
(05:35):
feelings known. As the source put it, there was not
one voice raised against Anne. The book also describes Andrew's reaction,
noting that his initial anger melted into sadness and that
he withdrew into the special reports prepared for the late Queen,
which she did not hesitate to let him read. A
servant who was at Balmorral during the episode recalled that
(05:56):
Sarah acted in the strangest way, adding you would have
thought she is the person wronged if she had every
right to go on holiday with another man, kiss him,
cuddle him, and the only person who had behaved wrongly
with a photographer and the editors of the newspapers who
had published the pictures. King Charles is understood to be
weighing the possibility of calling upon Princess Beatrice and Eugenie
(06:16):
for occasional royal duties in what sources describe as a
deliberate show of support for the York Sisters. According to
a source in Vanity Fair, it was something that was
being looked at before recent events, but despite what has
happened with Andrew, it's not off the cards. A royal
source said, whatever people might think of Andrew, the Goals
are kind, hard working and want to help if they can.
(06:38):
One royal source noted that the monarch is fond of
his nieces and doesn't want them to suffer because of
their father's downfall. There was no deal struck about the
future for Beatrice and Eugenie. They are private individuals in
that respect, but there have been talks for some time
about using them when and if there is a need
for their part. They have to let it be known
that they are more than willing to do public duties
(07:01):
if and when they can support the king. A source
close to the princesses said Beatrice and Eugenie recognize there
is a responsibility to support their uncle and they want
to support him, despite how Uncle Charles may feel they
might want to worry about cousin William. Beatrice is said
to have left senior members of the royal family taken
(07:21):
a back after hosting an event in Saudi Arabia described
as an afternoon tea with Princess Beatrice of York. The
gathering took place in late October at the Ritz Carlton
in Riard, a choice of venue that attracted attention given
her father's long standing links with the country during his
decade as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.
(07:42):
The timing also draws scrutiny coming amid all the Andrew
news cycles. According to reporting in Closer magazine, William and
Kate were among those taken by surprise. A source told
the publication it was seen as tone deaf, especially given
the venues, reputation and the recent controversies. Surmoundly, Andrew and
Sarah William Kate were genuinely upset when the pictures emerged.
(08:03):
They have been very supportive of Beatrice and Eugenie and
hope that they now will tow the Palace line. The
Palace has made it crystal clear every appearance must now
be approved and vetted by senior aids before anyone gives
it the go ahead. There's now a push inside the
Palace to impose an office style approval system on Beatrice
and Eugenie's future activities to ensure there's no repeats of
(08:26):
such headlines. They can't risk another scandal linked to the
York name. And there you have it. If you'd like
to email us addresses the Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com.
Please follow us on Spotify, Apple or the app of
your choice, and believe it's a nice review for you
hm enjoying the show. I'm Mark Francis my thanks to
John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue and Continuums
Calorogus Shark Media that hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.
I am your host, Mark Francis. There is renewed speculation
that Sarah Ferguson may be preparing to give a high
profile interview addressing the fallout surrounding Andrew Taur TV presenter
Mark Dolan told Sky News Australia she feels that she's
(00:26):
been thrown under the bus, that it was Andrew's ill
advised relationship with the disgraced X financier, and therefore she's
got the record to set straight. She needs the cash
and it's very possible that she will sign a million
dollar deal to spill the beans. The big problem is
for Charles because this whole scandal threatens to taint his
entire rain as monarch. We hear a Palace Intrigue would
(00:48):
encourage all parties to get this done soon. Is there
a Christmas season advertising dollars to be captured by additional downloads?
Just wait until next week. We're about to have Megan's
Not Christmas Special and Kate's Concert to unpack. Andrew and
Sarah may be facing an awkward social dilemma. Amid reports
that they are no longer welcome at the exclusive London
members club Annabells, despite their daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie
(01:12):
continuing to enjoy full access. The Mayfair institution, founded in
nineteen sixty three by Mark Burley and long associated with
high profile figures including Frank Sinatra, Princess Diana and McJagger,
has always prided itself on its privacy and selectivity. Membership
currently costs in the region of thirty seven hundred pounds
a year. According to The Daily Mail, Insiders suggest that
(01:35):
the former Duke and Duchess could be denied entry should
they attempt to visit. One source was quoted as saying
the pair would be turned away, adding that their type
of notoriety is not what the club needs. Any such
measure would apply it not only to Annabel's, but to
its four sister venues, including Marx, all owned by Richard
Kerring's Burly Group. The source explained that both Annabells and
(02:00):
Mars have very public facing entrances, so it would not
be a great look for the Burly Group to have
Andrew or Sarah pictured outside. The reported ban would not
affect their daughters, who remain members. Observers note that this
could make for a very awkward moment should the family
attempt to arrive together. There is also renewed scrutiny over
Andrew's Freedom of the City of London, a ceremonial status
(02:22):
he acquired by patrimony through his father, Prince Philip. A
spokesperson for the City of London Corporation told the Son
Andrew received the honor by virtue of patrimony, which is
inherited as the child of a freeman. Applications via patrimony
are not considered by our elected members. The City Corporation
(02:42):
is listening and will continue to listen to concerns raised,
and it will carefully consider the rules that govern how
a freedom is given, including the circumstances in which and
the procedure by which it can be removed. The author
of Entitle The Rise and Fall of the House of York,
Andrew Lowney, hasuggested Andrew's passport be taken away. Louney told
(03:04):
The Mirror Andrew needs to be investigated as a flight
risk and his passport should be surrendered. I think there's
a good chance Andrew would avoid any possible legal charges
by going to the Middle East. Like King Juan Carlos.
He said that would certainly suit the royal family. If
the authorities are serious about investigating him and holding him
to account, then his passport needs to be confiscated. Members
(03:26):
of the royal family are reportedly expressing concern about the
well being of Andrew and Sarah. Royal commentator Robert Jobson
was asked how the pair were coping amid the ongoing controversy.
Jobson told the Son not very well. Don't think. I
don't think even members of the royal family who have
taken action are concerned about both their mental health, jobs
and stress that the wider context could not be ignored.
(03:50):
I think that most of all, you've got to be
concerned about the victims of the Epstein scandal, and that,
to me is the biggest worry. They're human beings. A
lot has been taken away. The reports suggest Sarah has
been confiding in friends and staff as the pressure increases.
Speaking to The Sun, one source claim that she and
Andrew had been heard having some pretty intense conversations about
(04:10):
what is going on, with Sarah described as panicking about
what comes next. Another source said she is not in
a good place and massively on edge. Adding Luckily, Sarah
has quite a few staff working for her who really
like her, and she is really leaning on them for support.
She drinks in there with friends and staff to escape
from what is going on in her life generally, and
(04:31):
while she is there she takes advice on what to
do next. Well, palasin just a moment. A new account
of events in the early nineteen nineties suggests that Princess
Anne was so angered by these scandal surrounding Sarah that
she came close to physically confronting her. The allegations appear
in Andrew Lowney's book entitled The Rise and Fall of
(04:54):
the House of York. The controversy erupted after photographs were
published of the duchess on holiday in the south of
France with the American businessman John Bryan, described at the
time as her financial adviser. The images, which showed Brian
kissing Sarah's toes, caused deep embarrassment for the royal family.
Lowney writes that Sarah traveled to Bowmorl after the trip
(05:14):
and arrived to find members of the family at breakfast
reading the newspapers containing the photographs. He records that she
entered the breakfast room to find everyone reading the story
and fled. According to Lowneye, one individual who was present
told biographer Chris Hutchins that the Princess Royal came close
to throttling Sarah and that during dinner she made her
(05:35):
feelings known. As the source put it, there was not
one voice raised against Anne. The book also describes Andrew's reaction,
noting that his initial anger melted into sadness and that
he withdrew into the special reports prepared for the late Queen,
which she did not hesitate to let him read. A
servant who was at Balmorral during the episode recalled that
(05:56):
Sarah acted in the strangest way, adding you would have
thought she is the person wronged if she had every
right to go on holiday with another man, kiss him,
cuddle him, and the only person who had behaved wrongly
with a photographer and the editors of the newspapers who
had published the pictures. King Charles is understood to be
weighing the possibility of calling upon Princess Beatrice and Eugenie
(06:16):
for occasional royal duties in what sources describe as a
deliberate show of support for the York Sisters. According to
a source in Vanity Fair, it was something that was
being looked at before recent events, but despite what has
happened with Andrew, it's not off the cards. A royal
source said, whatever people might think of Andrew, the Goals
are kind, hard working and want to help if they can.
(06:38):
One royal source noted that the monarch is fond of
his nieces and doesn't want them to suffer because of
their father's downfall. There was no deal struck about the
future for Beatrice and Eugenie. They are private individuals in
that respect, but there have been talks for some time
about using them when and if there is a need
for their part. They have to let it be known
that they are more than willing to do public duties
(07:01):
if and when they can support the king. A source
close to the princesses said Beatrice and Eugenie recognize there
is a responsibility to support their uncle and they want
to support him, despite how Uncle Charles may feel they
might want to worry about cousin William. Beatrice is said
to have left senior members of the royal family taken
(07:21):
a back after hosting an event in Saudi Arabia described
as an afternoon tea with Princess Beatrice of York. The
gathering took place in late October at the Ritz Carlton
in Riard, a choice of venue that attracted attention given
her father's long standing links with the country during his
decade as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.
(07:42):
The timing also draws scrutiny coming amid all the Andrew
news cycles. According to reporting in Closer magazine, William and
Kate were among those taken by surprise. A source told
the publication it was seen as tone deaf, especially given
the venues, reputation and the recent controversies. Surmoundly, Andrew and
Sarah William Kate were genuinely upset when the pictures emerged.
(08:03):
They have been very supportive of Beatrice and Eugenie and
hope that they now will tow the Palace line. The
Palace has made it crystal clear every appearance must now
be approved and vetted by senior aids before anyone gives
it the go ahead. There's now a push inside the
Palace to impose an office style approval system on Beatrice
and Eugenie's future activities to ensure there's no repeats of
(08:26):
such headlines. They can't risk another scandal linked to the
York name. And there you have it. If you'd like
to email us addresses the Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com.
Please follow us on Spotify, Apple or the app of
your choice, and believe it's a nice review for you
hm enjoying the show. I'm Mark Francis my thanks to
John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue and Continuums
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