Jan. 16, 2026
Andrew Out, Sympathy In, and Kate Middleton Wants No Part of It
Prince Andrew prepares to leave Royal Lodge sooner than expected as a small but vocal group of royal watchers argue the backlash against him has gone too far. Reports suggest he is relocating to Sandringham, with work already under way at Marsh Farm.
Meanwhile, Kate is said to be furious over claims Andrew blames her for his downfall. Also in this episode: a new book on William and Catherine, the Princess hosts England’s women’s rugby champions at Windsor Castle, and William spotlights the mental health crisis facing farmers during a rainy visit to Herefordshire.
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.
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Calorogus Shark Media, Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue Game,
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your host, Mark Francis. Amid the sustained backlash against Prince Andrew,
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a quieter counter current has emerged online and among some
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Royal watchers, questioning whether the former Duke has already been
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punished enough. On Royal Forums, a minority of posters argue
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that the reaction has crossed into excess. Some describe the
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ongoing criticism as a modern day witch hunt, suggesting nothing
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short of total ruin would satisfy his critics. Similar sentiments
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appear on Mum's Net, where users note that Andrew has
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never been convicted of a crime and argue that public
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anger has long outpaced due process. In newspaper comments sections,
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particularly under Telegraph articles, a small but vocal group has
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echoed the same view. They argue that in the court
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of public opinion, Andrew has been judged and sentenced more
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harshly than many convicted criminals, with no clear path to
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redemption or closure. Several individuals interviewed expressed sympathy rooted not
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in approval of Andrew's behavior, but in discomfort with the
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scale and duration of his punishment. Some point to his
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long military service, including his role as a helicopter pilot
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during the Falklands War, as evidence that his entire life
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and characters should not be reduced to one chapter. Others
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stress the lack of criminal charges, arguing that while his
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association with Jeffrey Epstein was deeply ill judged, it does
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not automatically equate to guilt. They worry that speculation, media cycles,
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and repeated allegations have effectively destroyed his life without a
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definitive legal reckoning. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward says she has
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heard similar views among her contacts, noting a growing sense
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that criticism of Andrew has become relentless. She suggests his
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arrogance and detachment shaped by royal privilege, tributed to his downfall,
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but adds that many now feel the pressure has gone
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on long too far. There is broad agreement, even among
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those expressing sympathy, that Andrew has no realistic route back
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into public life. Most believe the damage is permanent, particularly
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with Prince William expected to take a firm line when
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he becomes king. Prince Andrew is unlikely to relocate to
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the United Arab Emirates, despite his past links to the
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Middle East, according to royal expert Jenny Bond. Speaking to
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The Mirror, Bond said Andrew does appear to have well
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connected friends in the Middle East and would not be
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short of comfort if he chose to live there. However,
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she suggested the lifestyle could quickly become isolating. In her view,
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family ties remain a key factor, making a permanent move
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abroad unlikely. Recent reports have suggested Andrew will instead relocate
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to King Charles Private Sandringham estate. Bond dismissed the idea
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that this would amount to a harsh punishment, noting that
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life there would still be comfortable. She said being based
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at Sandringham would likely involve her how staff, security, in
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a quiet life and a desirable part of the country.
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Bond added that in theory, it might be easier for
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the wider Royal family if Andrew moved somewhere distant, particularly
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as ongoing revelations linked to Jeffrey Epstein continued to emerge. However,
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she believes the family feels it has already done as
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much as possible to distance itself from Andrew and the
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controversy surrounding him. Removal vans were seen at Royal Lodge
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remaining on site for several hours before departing. At the
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same time, workmen were spotted at Marsh Farm on Sandringham State,
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where Andrew is believed to be relocating. Engineers linked to
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Sky were photographed at the Norfolk property, where ladders erected
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and equipment installed, suggesting broadband services are being set up
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ahead of his arrival. One worker wearing a jacket marked
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Sky VIP team was seen climbing a ladder and inspecting
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the roof. A source told The Sun the snow or
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rain hasn't delayed the work on Marsh Farm, but it
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still needs a lot of it tension to make inhabitable.
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But one thing for sure is that it is a lot,
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lot smaller and less luxurious than Royal Lodge. There was
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some speculation at the time of our recording that Andrew
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had moved out on Thursday, although no firm date has
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been confirmed either way. It is understood that he intends
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to leave Royal Lodge at least before his birthday on
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February nineteen. That timeline has surprised some observers, as it
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was previously thought he could have extended the process and
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remained in the crowned State property until October, when he
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would have been legally required to vacate. A friend told
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the son, he's finally decided he needs to get on
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with his life and so is moving out sooner than
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thought and starting afresh. By the end of the month,
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or at least before his birthday in February, he and
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Sarah will go their own separate ways for the first
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time in almost twenty years. The accelerated move comes as
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preparations continue at his purported new residence and follow months
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of speculation about how long he would remain at Royal
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Lodge after agreeing to surrender the tenancy or palasin just
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a moment. Kate is reportedly disgusted by claims that Andrew
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is blaming her for his downfall from royal life, according
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to an insider. Sources say the princess is relieved to
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be distancing herself from Andrew and rejects any suggestion that
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she played a role in his removal from royal duties
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or his loss of status, and the insider said, from
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Kate's side, she's simply not engaging with Andrew. She's by
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no means on some campaign against him, but naturally she's
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disgusted by his behavior and agrees with the King's decision.
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It's very awkward for her, so she's avoiding Andrew and
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saying she's glad he's out of her hair. Andrew is
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so narcissistic. He can't understand why she would want to
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distance herself. He keeps going on about how she's a
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silent assassin who's been quietly pulling the strings and whipping
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William into a frenzy about him. He's absolutely certain that
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major decisions about his future have been run past her
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and William. But instead of blaming William forgetting him for
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Stout has turned his wrath on Kate. A new book
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focusing on William and Kate is said to be released
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next month, titled William and Catherine The Intimate Inside Story.
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The book follows their relationship from the early days meeting
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at the University of Saint Andrew's through to the present.
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Drawing on exclusive access to Pallace insiders, it aims to
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provide context around several pivotal moments, including intense media scrutiny
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during their twenty twenty two Caribbean tour, Catherine's cancer diagnosis,
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the departure of Prince Harry, and Megan Michael from royal
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duties and the death of Queen Elizabeth II in twenty
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twenty two. The book is written by Russell Myers, the
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Royal editor of The Daily Mirror. Kate welcomed England's women's
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rugby team to Windsor Castle yesterday for a reception of
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celebrating their World Cup victory. Appearing in a striking red outfitters,
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she marked the team's achievement. In her role as patron
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of the Rugby Football Union, Kate hosted the Red Roses
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after their thirty three to thirteen win o Canada in
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the Willains of Rugby World Cup Final last September. Before
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meeting the Princess, players and staff were given a tour
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of the castle, with one of these standout moments coming
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when the team presented her with the Rugby World Cup trophy.
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Kate continued the red theme associated with the Red Roses,
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even opting for a red cowboy style hat with a
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tiara like detail, while some players wore white hats decorated
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with the team's signature Red Rose. Catherine became Patron of
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the Rugby Football Union in twenty twenty two after Prince
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Harry relinquished the role following his end Megan Mikael's decision
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to step back from royal duties. Meanwhile, William highlighted the
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mental health challenges facing farmers doing a visit to a
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family run farm in Herodfordshire, where he joined in with
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daily chores while promoting support services back by the Duchy
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of Cornwall. The Prince spent the morning helping prune apple trees,
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build fencing and feed sheep at the farm, joking that
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he had entered a lumberjack moment when at stubborn branch
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finally came down. As he worked in the rain, he
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remarked on how difficult the task became the higher up
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the tree he reached, a comment echoed by the farmer
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hosting the visit. William was there in his role as
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patron of We Are Farming Minds, a Herefadgire based charity
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that provides mental health support specifically for farmers. The organization
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offers fully funded counseling, a twenty four hour support line, training,
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social events and advice aimed at tackling isolation and stigma
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within the farming community. And there you have it. If
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you'd like to email us our addresses the Palace Intrigue
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at gmail dot com. Please followus on Spotify, Apple, or
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join us on the social media sites Facebook, Instagram. We're
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all over the place. I'm Francis, still suffering from allergies.
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My thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue. Good
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00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:06.120
138
00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:09.319
139
00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:12.839
140
00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:17.120
141
00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:21.439
142
00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:25.759
143
00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:30.399
144
00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:32.759
145
00:08:32.759 --> 00:08:36.159
146
00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:39.519
147
00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:42.759
148
00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:46.120
149
00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:46.519
