Palace Confidential

In a message to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, Her Majesty expressed her wish that the Duchess of Cornwall be known as Queen Consort when Prince Charles takes the throne. But what do other members of the family make of it? In particular Camilla’s stepsons, William and Harry.

PLUS, we look at the Daily Mail’s exclusive poll on the public’s view of the Royal Family, including who is up and who is down in the nation’s affections, plus how the senior royals could be planning a spot of castle swapping. And don’t miss our special timeline looking back at the topsy-turvy course of Charles and Camilla’s romance.

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A row over broadcaster Joe Rogan hosting Covid-19 conspiracists on his Spotify show engulfed fellow podcasters the Duke and Duchess of Sussex this week.

The situation is, ‘a nightmare for Harry and Meghan’, says the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden, who dismisses their statement calling for Spotify to ‘meet this moment’ as ‘mealy-mouthed.’

Another of Harry’s money-making schemes is a new autobiography due out later this year. Given his previous comments about his family in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, one area causing concern to the Palace is what he might write about his stepmother.

Meanwhile, Prince Andrew’s US civil case over claims of sexual assault – which he denies – made a return to the headlines, as both sides started to outline the witnesses they wanted to speak to. The Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English analyses the latest moves in the legal action for the show.

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This week it was revealed that, after a long period of radio silence, Spotify was taking things into its own hands when it comes to making Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s delayed podcast.

Meanwhile, his uncle Prince Andrew remains under pressure over his ongoing legal battles in New York. This week his lawyers said that the Duke wants a trial by jury over claims by Virginia Giuffre that he sexually abused her when she was 17. Something he has consistently denied.

PLUS from the Queen’s poignant trip to Sandringham, to the Duchess of Cambridge’s engagements, to Camilla’s busy few days, we give you the full royal round-up of this week.

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Prince Harry’s decision to try to get his lawyers to overturn the Home Office’s decision not to offer him police protection in the UK has, says Rebecca English, created ‘another legal drama involving the Sussexes and another unwelcome situation for the Royal Family’.

PLUS After the extraordinary events that saw Boris Johnson apologise to the Queen after parties were held in Downing Street the night before the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, Daily Mail columnist Robert Hardman looks at the curious relationship between prime ministers and monarchs. He explains when the Government has the upper hand and when politicians have been forced to show contrition to the Palace.

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The news that Prince Andrew is set to face trial in America over a civil claim that he abused a sex-trafficked 17-year-old is ‘the Royal Family’s worst nightmare and there’s no easy way out’.

That’s the view of the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden, who says that enough is enough: it’s time for the Firm to take decisive action to put ‘clear water’ between them and Andrew, who denies all the allegations against him.

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In an essay on the environment published this week, Prince Charles praised not only his late father but both of his sons for their commitment to green issues.

It might seem like a small thing, but the Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English says it is ‘very notable’, adding: ‘I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Relationships with Harry are still really poor [but] I do think this is an olive branch to his younger son to show that he is still loved and he is still valued. How that will be received is anyone’s guess.’

There is likely to be less enthusiasm in rehabilitating the Duke of York, however. This week his lawyers’ attempts to get a US judge to strike out a civil case brought against him were, at the time of recording, looking unlikely to succeed. The case comes from Virginia Giuffre, who accuses the prince of sexual abuse when she was 17, he has denied all claims against him.

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Despite stepping back from his official royal role in 2019, Prince Andrew's ability to dominate the headlines throughout 2021 has given our panel on Palace Confidential plenty to talk about all year long. In this special episode, we’ve put together some of the biggest talking points and most jaw-dropping moments from the story of Prince Andrew over the past year.

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2020 was a seismic year for the Royal Family as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced plans to leave Britain and to relinquish royal duties, so much so that few thought 2021 would provide as much drama.

However, the fallout from Megxit has continued to be drawn out, providing a series of unexpected twists that have proved incredibly uncomfortable for the Royal Family. 

Each week Palace Confidential has asked our experts to dissect all the developments: from the accusations and recriminations around interviews to the multimillion-pound deals; and from a controversial internal investigation to the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres in the royal households. 

In this special episode, we’ve put together some of the biggest talking points and most jaw-dropping moments from the Harry and Meghan story of 2021.

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Earlier this year, Buckingham Palace announced an investigation into accusations of bullying by the Duchess of Sussex against members of staff. Fast forward nine months and, as the Mail’s Rebecca English reveals, just ‘a tiny handful’ of staff have been interviewed and she believes the whole process is ‘being kicked into the long grass’.

The panel also discuss a moving Christmas event hosted by the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles taking on the anti-vaxxers and Prince William’s battle with the producers of The Crown.

Meanwhile, after a year that has seen the death of Prince Phillip, the Queen’s own health problems and the continued challenge of the pandemic to royal duties, speculation about how long Her Majesty could and would remain on the throne has increased. We asked historian Dr Ed Owens to look back to see what the future might hold.

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What is Prince Harry’s motivation – self-preservation or trying to create more distance from his family in advance of his memoirs being released? That’s the question being asked by our panel in the latest edition of Palace Confidential. 

As connections between Prince Charles and a Saudi businessman are called into question, Harry has appeared to criticise his father, referring to the affair as the ‘CBE scandal’. Richard Kay believes the move is a calculated one from the Duke of Sussex, who’s keen to further separate himself from his father before the publication of Harry’s memoirs next year. 

Plus, as we gear up to Christmas, Rebecca English joins us the day after the Duchess of Cambridge’s carol concert from Westminster Abbey. Sharing a glimpse of the programme, she praised Kate for the family focused affair, saying that while she wrote a message for the programme, the duchess ‘made sure it wasn’t all about her, which isn’t always the case with members, or ex-members, of the Royal Family’. 

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