Palace Intrigue Weekly

00:00:04: Hello and welcome to Palace Weekly.

00:00:06: I am your host, Mark Francis.

00:00:09: It's been a week of considerable range.

00:00:11: A police investigation expanded dramatically.

00:00:14: King danced dodged the seagull And declared toilet roll.

00:00:18: very important.

00:00:19: Prince lost his voice in Istanbul celebrating as football teams first European trophy In forty four years And Meghan Markle stopped at Heathrow on her way home from Geneva posted a photograph of the card from the British Airways crew and inadvertently generated news cycle about his selfie with a Finnish politician.

00:00:39: nobody had heard off.

00:00:41: The monarchy as ever contains multitudes, let's get into it!

00:00:45: We begin with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor because the week demanded.

00:00:49: Thames Valley police announced this week that their investigation has expanded significantly beyond the original misconduct in public office charge to now include potential sexual offenses and corruption.

00:01:02: When Andrew was arrested at Wood Farm on his sixty-sixth birthday in February, The inquiry centered on allegations he shared confidential trade documents with Jeffrey Epstein during his decade as UK's special representative for Trade & Investment.

00:01:17: That charge alone carries a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

00:01:21: The investigation has now grown considerably larger.

00:01:26: Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright confirmed that the dedicated team of the force's most experienced specialist investigators, including detectives with expertise in serious sexual offences and financial crime have been assembled.

00:01:39: Officers are already in contact with the Crown Prosecution Service for early investigative advice and are liaising formally, with the American Department of Justice to request access to material from the Epstein files.

00:01:52: The specific new allegations are serious.

00:01:55: Detectives are examining claims that Epstein arranged for a non-British woman then in her twenties to travel to Royal Lodge in Windsor for sexual purposes in twenty ten.

00:02:05: Her lawyer has stated that following the encounter she was given tea to her Buckingham Palace.

00:02:10: Officers have spoken to a legal representative, but have not yet formally interviewed the woman herself.

00:02:16: as she has not made an official complaint.

00:02:19: The force made clear this week that they are ready to proceed whenever she chooses to come forward.

00:02:24: The original misconduct allegations center on emails suggesting Andrew forwarded confidential trade briefings to Epstein while serving his envoy sometimes within minutes of receiving them.

00:02:35: One email from November, twenty ten was forwarded just five minutes after being sent by his then special advisor.

00:02:42: On Christmas Eve of the same year Andrew allegedly copied Epstein into a confidential briefing about investment opportunities in the reconstruction of Helmand province in Afghanistan.

00:02:54: The investigation police warned will take many months.

00:02:59: Separately, fifteen pages of previously classified government documents were released this week relating to Andrew's trade envoy appointment.

00:03:06: They reveal the late Queen was very keen for her son take on a prominent role in promoting national interests but that he should not be burdened with meetings and paperwork.

00:03:16: He expressed a preference for missions to sophisticated countries.

00:03:20: The documents will release following pressure from MPs In the wake of Epstein files.

00:03:27: The week also brought Andrew Lowney's updated paperback of Entitled which contains fresh allegations including a claim that Andrew once kicked one of his dogs at the Sandringham shoot Leaving the animal whimpering on the ground.

00:03:40: A guest confronted him directly, Andrew allegedly replied It's none-of your business and I will do precisely what i want to my dog Philip it is claimed.

00:03:48: later approached the same guest and said What you said today was absolutely right.

00:03:53: The book also includes new claims about Sarah Ferguson's links to Sean Combs, which Ferguson had strenuously denied.

00:04:01: Launey says he stands by the reporting —the paperback is in shops now—Launey isn't a man who publishes and

00:04:06: retreats.".

00:04:08: Meanwhile, Launay suggested this week that Ferguson may be attempting to negotiate a pension from his royal family with an outcome likely to influence whether she proceeds with a tell-all interview.

00:04:18: Neither Ferguson nor the palace has confirmed or denied more appellating just a moment.

00:04:27: King Charles and Queen Camilla spent the week in Northern Ireland, managed to pack an extraordinary amount of living into short time.

00:04:34: The visit began in Belfast at Thompson Dock where the Titanic last sat on dry land with a welcome involving more than two hundred performers marking the upcoming largest traditional Irish music festival coming to Belfast this August for the first time.

00:04:50: The King got his feet going, to live.

00:04:52: percussionist was warmly embraced around the waist by Zimbabwean born Belfas resident who declared with enthusiasm that Kings Got Rhythm in both.

00:04:59: he and Camilla were handed Bodhrans and given it tutorial.

00:05:03: .The king picked up immediately.

00:05:05: ,the Queen persevered.

00:05:06: when Charles went on stage to thank young dancers He asked if they are professionals.

00:05:10: The peered startled when told they were not and replied, Impressive!

00:05:14: You must wear out your shoes very quickly.

00:05:17: At Titanic Distillers housed in the restored Edwardian pump house beside the dry dock a couple offered a tasting.

00:05:24: It was barely past noon.

00:05:25: Queen raised her eyebrows dramatically asked what proof Was told.

00:05:28: forty percent decided to proceed.

00:05:30: Quite strong she said but nice and warming.

00:05:33: She turned to warn her husband who was already reaching for his glass.

00:05:37: The head distiller noted afterwards that the queen had actually tried the stronger of two pours, she must have a more refined pallet than...the king.

00:05:45: On day two operating separately across County Down Charles visited food bank in Newcastle where he packed grocery boxes Stuck his hand into paper bag to smell freshly baked wheat and bread seized on toilet roll with declaration Very important, he added a second one.

00:06:00: Very very important!

00:06:02: Leaving the building.

00:06:03: that passing Seagull made its contribution to the occasion.

00:06:06: an aide offered an overcoat.

00:06:08: The King waved it off and told a concerned member of public No It's fine.

00:06:12: at least didn't land on my head.

00:06:14: A local resident noted that his seagull strikers traditionally considered good luck.

00:06:18: The king appeared share this view.

00:06:22: Meanwhile, in Hillsborough, Camilla pulled a pint of Guinness at the Parsons Nose Pub with fierce concentration.

00:06:28: Held it aloft to around of applause and declared too early for drinking was serenaded by her primary school choir singing A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman.

00:06:37: She called it really lovely.

00:06:39: Admired a baby?

00:06:40: And shook considerable number hands!

00:06:42: Between them.

00:06:43: in space of forty-eight hours King & Queen had danced drummed done whiskey shots before lunch packed groceries being targeted by wildlife and pulled a Guinness.

00:06:51: The visit has been widely covered as one of the most warm and unguarded royal tours in recent memory.

00:06:57: On the Sussex Front, this week generated its usual volume of material from multiple directions simultaneously.

00:07:03: Meghan travelled solo to Geneva on Sunday for an inauguration at the Lost Screen Memorial at the Hooves World Health Assembly.

00:07:11: Fifty illuminated light boxes each bearing a lock screen image of child lost online harm.

00:07:17: by all accounts her speech was strong.

00:07:19: She called children's online safety a public health issue and described systems designed to capture attention at any cost.

00:07:26: The cause is genuine, the credentials are real…the visit then hit a snag when Finland's Minister for Social Affairs and Health posted a selfie with her captioned A Dinner With Meghan prompting rapid research into his controversial past including an alleged joke about being a Nazi.

00:07:41: Meghan's team responded swiftly noting she had no prior awareness of him that vetting every selfie requested Twenty-five person ministerial dinner is not possible, and that she had simply agreed politely as she was leaving.

00:07:53: The statement was plausible—the internet wasn't entirely satisfied but the story moved

00:07:58: on.".

00:07:59: On her way home Meghan tranted through Heathrow her first time on British soil since twenty-twenty four, and posted a photograph of the handwritten anniversary card from The British Airways crew who had sent to home with champagne in British suites for Harry & the Children.

00:08:13: Her flight departed twenty six minutes late back in Montecito.

00:08:16: Harry was waiting in grey tracksuit bottoms with a lemon elderflower cake singing Happy Anniversary and presenting Meghan with a Statute Of Tube Penguins Arm In Arm A callback To The Onesies They Wore At Their Engagement Party.

00:08:29: A body language expert reviewed the footage and declared it very genuine.

00:08:33: No visible tension, he said... The same week also confirmed that Harry and Meghan were not invited to Peter Phillips' wedding.

00:08:46: Peter, Princess Anne's son is marrying Harriet Sperling and Ciren Kester on June sixth.

00:08:51: Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are already confirmed absent.

00:08:54: Harry's exclusion was confirmed by a source who simply said that the two cousins haven't spoken for several years and have simply lost touch.

00:09:01: Mark Dolan on a podcast, said bluntly poor old Harry wasn't even in the mix for an invite.

00:09:06: so he's done.

00:09:07: The York sisters Beatrice & Eugenie are expected to attend.

00:09:10: .The Waleses and Edinburgh may also appear.

00:09:13: ,the circle continues to define itself by who stands outside it.

00:09:19: Harry also wrote a piece for the new statesman this week about the rise of anti-Semitism in Britain, directly acknowledging his two thousand five Nazi costume and calling for restraint and responsibility from all sides.

00:09:30: ITV's Chris Schipp noted that Harry's office said they were unaware of The King's separate visit to Golders Green which had not been announced in advance And that the overlap was not deliberate no more than the princess of Wales did by having engagements In Italy on the same day as the king's visit Ship wrote, whether that framing satisfied everyone is another question.

00:09:51: More palace in just a moment!

00:09:58: And Prince William had his week entirely defined by ninety minutes and Istanbul on Wednesday evening.

00:10:03: Aston Villa beat Freiburg three goals to nil to win the Europa League their first European trophy in forty-four years.

00:10:10: William was in the stands fist pumping jumping with each goal filming on his phone like every other fan in the ground.

00:10:17: He joined the players at the after party, flew home lost his voice and was back in Cornwall for an engagement by Thursday morning.

00:10:23: On Heart Radio's breakfast show from The Isles of Silly he called Catherine absolutely stunning And said that family couldn't cope without her.

00:10:30: Confirmed Louis leaves jam fingerprints on car and revealed Charlotte supports Chelsea.

00:10:35: My daughter loves Chelsea told a young girl on the crowd.

00:10:38: George follows Villa.

00:10:40: The household is divided.

00:10:41: William declared himself a cream first scorn man in the Devonian tradition.

00:10:46: He learned it from the Queen.

00:10:47: The debate he made clear was closed, and there you have if like to email us or address as the palace intrigue at gmail.com.

00:10:54: please follow us on Apple or Spotify And You can leave a comment on Spotify about this show.

00:11:00: any of the others I'm Mark Francis by thanks to John McDermott.

00:11:03: This is Palace Intrigued.

00:11:05: good times.