Jan. 7, 2026
Andrew’s Last Stand: Begging Letters, Epstein Shadows, and the Easter Eviction Clock
Reports say Prince Andrew urged Sarah Ferguson to send overly personal letters to King Charles and Queen Camilla as the Yorks scramble for relevance, while fresh court-file chatter revives ugly Epstein-era speculation around an unnamed “Duchess of England.” Meanwhile, Andrew’s exit from Royal Lodge is now being framed as an Easter deadline, with uncertainty over where he lands next. We also run through the latest palace diary reporting on tours, priorities, and the two unresolved family crises still hanging over the institution.
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.
Check out "Palace Intrigue Presents: King WIlliam" here.
👑 Follow our hit series Crown and Controversy! Season 1 and 2 are fully available now for everyone. Season 3 has new episodes every Sunday on the regular feed. GET THE FULL SEASON 3 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 conve
WEBVTT
1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:11.160
Caalarogus Shark Media, Hello and welcome to Palace. Intrigued, I
2
00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:14.880
am your host, Mark Francis. Former Prince Andrew was reported
3
00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:18.079
to have urged his ex wife Sarah Ferguson to reach
4
00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.760
out to senior members of the royal family as controversy
5
00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:25.480
continues to surround his past association with Jeoffrey Epstein. According
6
00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:28.359
to sources quoted by Okay magazine, the former Duke of
7
00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:31.879
York encouraged Ferguson to send what inside is described as
8
00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.359
begging letters to figures including King Charles and Queen Camilla.
9
00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:40.039
The messages were reportedly sent around Christmas and expressed regret
10
00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:43.640
over events linked to the House of York. The source
11
00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:45.799
claimed that as Andrew struggles to come to terms with
12
00:00:45.880 --> 00:00:48.439
the loss of his royal status and prepares to vacate
13
00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:53.280
Royal Lodge, he has withdrawn from direct contact with other royals. Instead,
14
00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:56.359
Ferguson was said to have acted on his behalf, with
15
00:00:56.439 --> 00:00:59.520
some letters allegedly sent using both their names, creating the
16
00:00:59.560 --> 00:01:03.600
impression of a joint appeal. Speaking about Andrew's mindset to
17
00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:05.920
the Insider said he's finding it hard to accept the
18
00:01:05.959 --> 00:01:09.840
loss of his status. Staff and visitors continue to be deferential,
19
00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:12.439
but he still holds onto the notion that he's a prince.
20
00:01:13.560 --> 00:01:15.120
Sarah seems to be trying to make up for it
21
00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:18.040
in her own way, sending overly personal messages to royals
22
00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:21.799
who may not even want them. A separate senior palace
23
00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:25.519
source reinforced the impression that Andrew has stepped back entirely
24
00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:29.280
from family correspondents. There's no sign that Andrew has sent
25
00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:32.280
any cards to the royals himself. It seems he has
26
00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:37.680
withdrawn completely from public facing correspondents, leaving Sarah to maintain
27
00:01:37.799 --> 00:01:43.040
a family friendly front. Sarah has seemingly been drawn back
28
00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.640
into the Jeffrey Epstein scandal following the emergence of US
29
00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:48.920
court files that refer to eight Duchess of England allegedly
30
00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:52.719
giving staff at Epstein's mansion a six word warning. The
31
00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.280
files claim the unnamed duchess told staff to see nothing,
32
00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:59.959
hear nothing, say nothing. The phrase appears in a manual
33
00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:04.159
created by employees working for Jeffrey Epstein and Glaine Maxwell.
34
00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:08.319
The manual, which also included guidance on how to properly
35
00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:12.280
maintain a house, reportedly set out all of the tasks
36
00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:16.680
that were demanded at Epstein's Palm Beach property. It stressed
37
00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:20.400
the importance of appearance and behavior, stating appearance is extremely
38
00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:24.120
important if high standards are to be maintained. A favorable
39
00:02:24.199 --> 00:02:27.520
first impression goes a long way, and adding the personal cleanliness,
40
00:02:27.639 --> 00:02:30.800
good presentation and a genuine and polite aim to please
41
00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:35.199
approach are very important. Although the document was first disclosed
42
00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:38.319
in twenty twenty one, there has never been any confirmed
43
00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.639
evidence I identifying who helped write it. However, an anonymous
44
00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:45.400
former employee has now claimed they first encountered the manual
45
00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:47.680
after a visit from a woman they described as a
46
00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.360
duchess from England, referring to the Duchess of England. The
47
00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:53.840
former staff members said they remembered seeing the manual when
48
00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:57.039
a duchess from England that came, describing her as a
49
00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:00.919
woman who was supposed to be royalty. Ferguson has previously
50
00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:03.639
denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, the position she
51
00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:08.080
has maintained consistently. In practical terms, there are very few
52
00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:11.759
royal duchesses connected to the British royal family today. That
53
00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:16.120
group is limited to Megan Michael, Sophie Beregud Catherine, and
54
00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:19.159
for purposes of the discussion, Sarah Ferguson. That is a
55
00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:22.599
remarkably small pool, which is why any reference to a
56
00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:28.960
duchess in a scandal heavy context immediately invites speculation. Bergitte
57
00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:31.360
was born on June twentieth, nineteen forty six years seventy
58
00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:33.680
nine years old. Catherine was born on February twenty second,
59
00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:37.840
nineteen thirty three. She is ninety two years old. Beyond
60
00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:41.800
the royal household, the picture changes dramatically. Across England and
61
00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:44.680
the wider UK. There are roughly thirty active dukedoms in
62
00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:48.680
the peerage, most with duchesses by marriage or inheritance. These
63
00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:53.159
women are aristocratic, not royal. They tend to live private lives,
64
00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:56.280
hold no public facing royal roles, in a largely unknown
65
00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:01.520
outside specialist circles. This distinction matters when documents refer vaguely
66
00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:06.080
to a duchess of England. It blurs two very different worlds.
67
00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:09.240
If the reference is to a peerage duchess, then that
68
00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:13.039
is wide and identification is difficult. If the implication is royal,
69
00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:17.000
the list is so short that the phrase almost guarantees headlines.
70
00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:21.920
Andrew is reportedly being pushed toward the exit at Royal Lodge,
71
00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:25.240
with Easter now emerging as the hard deadline for his departure.
72
00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:28.959
The timing, insiders suggest is not accidental. The Royal family
73
00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.480
traditionally gathers at Windsor for Easter, attending services at Saint
74
00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:35.360
George's Chapel, and there is a clear desire to avoid
75
00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:39.279
what one source is described as another awkward family encounter.
76
00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.519
With Easter falling in early April this year, Andrew is
77
00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:45.279
now expected to be gone by then. Writing in The
78
00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.759
Daily may Or, Royal editor Rebecca English said the move
79
00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:51.800
would help the family sidestep another potentially tricky encounter during
80
00:04:51.800 --> 00:04:55.160
the holiday period. She added the possibility that there may
81
00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:57.959
need to be an interim solution if his next home
82
00:04:58.040 --> 00:05:01.439
is not ready in time. Next home is widely believed
83
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.480
to be Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate, but even
84
00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:07.800
that option appears less than straightforward. English reported that the
85
00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:10.959
property is considered quite small and in need of a
86
00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:13.959
lot of work before it can be made both habitable
87
00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:18.199
and secure. Royal biographer Robert Jobson has suggested that Andrew's
88
00:05:18.199 --> 00:05:21.800
retreat could instead stretch far beyond the UK, saying the
89
00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:24.519
King saw the King of Bahrain the other day. One
90
00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:27.439
never knows. It could be a place where Andrew gets
91
00:05:27.639 --> 00:05:30.759
the recognition of being the second son of Queen Elizabeth.
92
00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:34.639
Rather than this. Jobson noted that such a move would
93
00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:38.240
hardly be without precedent. Spain's former monarch, One Carlos that First,
94
00:05:38.279 --> 00:05:41.399
has lived in Abu Dharby since twenty twenty after stepping
95
00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:45.439
back from public life amid financial scandals, effectively removing himself
96
00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:49.360
from the daily glare of European media. Other disgraced people
97
00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:52.079
have gone to the Middle East. Jobson added, Andrew did
98
00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:55.040
a lot of business in Bahrain, and he's still relatively young,
99
00:05:56.199 --> 00:06:03.120
more palasing just a moment. Writing in The Daily may Or,
100
00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:06.199
Royal correspondent Rebecca English says twenty twenty five was a
101
00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:09.680
turning point in family dynamics, writing that King Charles showed
102
00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:13.360
he was finally prepared to act decisively when family members
103
00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:17.160
damaged the monarchy. She described the removal of Prince Andrew's
104
00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:21.000
dukedom and privileges as widely welcomed, surprising those who doubted
105
00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:23.560
the King had the resolve to take such a step.
106
00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:26.800
Looking ahead to twenty twenty six, English reports that the
107
00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:30.120
King's diary is more packed than ever, with sources saying
108
00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:32.879
he is raring to go. A spring tour is said
109
00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:36.360
to be locked in, likely to the United States, tied
110
00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:39.560
to the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of American independence
111
00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:43.959
following President Trump's second state visit to the UK. She
112
00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:47.680
acknowledges that controversy this may cause, but says it reflects
113
00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:51.959
the Palace's careful handling of relations with Washington. Later in
114
00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:54.399
the year, Charles is expected to travel to Antigua for
115
00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:58.199
the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. English notes the political
116
00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:01.240
sensitivity of the visit given the growing number of Caribbean
117
00:07:01.319 --> 00:07:04.639
nations reconsidering the monarchy, but says the King has already
118
00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:08.560
laid groundwork for a mature and sensible conversation on the
119
00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:12.759
future of the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, William's preference for shorter, more
120
00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:17.040
impactful overseas visits continues, with trips penciled into the US
121
00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:19.879
and India, while tours to Australia and China have been
122
00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:22.680
ruled out. There are currently no confirmed foreign visits for
123
00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:25.560
the Princess of Wales, though English says her team has
124
00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:29.480
not ruled one out as her recovery progresses. English also
125
00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:32.639
addresses William's talk of change with the capital c and
126
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:36.160
being less royal with a small r, quoting one insider
127
00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:40.079
who cautions that while the couple will modernize selectively, they
128
00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:44.399
remain traditionalists. They see the power of what the institution does,
129
00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:47.600
the source says, adding that major ceremonies like trooping the
130
00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:51.519
color and a future coronation are not going anywhere. Finally,
131
00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:54.879
English turns to two lingering family crises, Prince Andrew and
132
00:07:54.920 --> 00:07:57.759
Prince Harry. She reports that Andrew is expected to leave
133
00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:01.720
Royal Lodge by Easter, possibly relocating to March Farm at Sandringham,
134
00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:05.839
though renovations may delay the move, raising the extraordinary possibility
135
00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:09.040
that he could be temporarily without a permanent residence. An
136
00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:12.199
insider is quoted describing Andrew as a man with a
137
00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:16.360
habit of making terribly bad decisions. As for Harry and Meghan,
138
00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:20.319
English writes that while the palace publicly downplays their activities,
139
00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:23.680
there is intense private interest in the apparent struggles of
140
00:08:23.720 --> 00:08:27.399
the us ventures. She reports skepticism about claims of an
141
00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:32.480
imminent reconciliation, saying the king remains wary despite being pained
142
00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:36.360
by the estrangement. One source suggests Charles felt rail roaded
143
00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:39.919
into their recent meeting, believing refusal would have been weaponized
144
00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:43.919
against him. English concludes that most Royal insiders believe any
145
00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:47.519
genuine reconciliation would require an apology from Harry, which they
146
00:08:47.559 --> 00:08:50.919
see is unlikely, and they have it like to email
147
00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:53.519
as address is the Palace Intriy at email dot com.
148
00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:56.159
Please follow us on Spotify, Apple or the Apple Choice.
149
00:08:56.200 --> 00:08:59.320
I'm Mark Francis By thanks to John McDermott, Pallace Intrigue
150
00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:03.480
and Times h
1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:11.160
2
00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:14.880
3
00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:18.079
4
00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.760
5
00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:25.480
6
00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:28.359
7
00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:31.879
8
00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.359
9
00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:40.039
10
00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:43.640
11
00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:45.799
12
00:00:45.880 --> 00:00:48.439
13
00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:53.280
14
00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:56.359
15
00:00:56.439 --> 00:00:59.520
16
00:00:59.560 --> 00:01:03.600
17
00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:05.920
18
00:01:05.959 --> 00:01:09.840
19
00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:12.439
20
00:01:13.560 --> 00:01:15.120
21
00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:18.040
22
00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:21.799
23
00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:25.519
24
00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:29.280
25
00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:32.280
26
00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:37.680
27
00:01:37.799 --> 00:01:43.040
28
00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.640
29
00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:48.920
30
00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:52.719
31
00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.280
32
00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:59.959
33
00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:04.159
34
00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:08.319
35
00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:12.280
36
00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:16.680
37
00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:20.400
38
00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:24.120
39
00:02:24.199 --> 00:02:27.520
40
00:02:27.639 --> 00:02:30.800
41
00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:35.199
42
00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:38.319
43
00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.639
44
00:02:42.680 --> 00:02:45.400
45
00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:47.680
46
00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.360
47
00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:53.840
48
00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:57.039
49
00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:00.919
50
00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:03.639
51
00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:08.080
52
00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:11.759
53
00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:16.120
54
00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:19.159
55
00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:22.599
56
00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:28.960
57
00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:31.360
58
00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:33.680
59
00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:37.840
60
00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:41.800
61
00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:44.680
62
00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:48.680
63
00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:53.159
64
00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:56.280
65
00:03:56.319 --> 00:04:01.520
66
00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:06.080
67
00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:09.240
68
00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:13.039
69
00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:17.000
70
00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:21.920
71
00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:25.240
72
00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:28.959
73
00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.480
74
00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:35.360
75
00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:39.279
76
00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.519
77
00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:45.279
78
00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.759
79
00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:51.800
80
00:04:51.800 --> 00:04:55.160
81
00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:57.959
82
00:04:58.040 --> 00:05:01.439
83
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.480
84
00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:07.800
85
00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:10.959
86
00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:13.959
87
00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:18.199
88
00:05:18.199 --> 00:05:21.800
89
00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:24.519
90
00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:27.439
91
00:05:27.639 --> 00:05:30.759
92
00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:34.639
93
00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:38.240
94
00:05:38.279 --> 00:05:41.399
95
00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:45.439
96
00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:49.360
97
00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:52.079
98
00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:55.040
99
00:05:56.199 --> 00:06:03.120
100
00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:06.199
101
00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:09.680
102
00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:13.360
103
00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:17.160
104
00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:21.000
105
00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:23.560
106
00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:26.800
107
00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:30.120
108
00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:32.879
109
00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:36.360
110
00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:39.560
111
00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:43.959
112
00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:47.680
113
00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:51.959
114
00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:54.399
115
00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:58.199
116
00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:01.240
117
00:07:01.319 --> 00:07:04.639
118
00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:08.560
119
00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:12.759
120
00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:17.040
121
00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:19.879
122
00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:22.680
123
00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:25.560
124
00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:29.480
125
00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:32.639
126
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:36.160
127
00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:40.079
128
00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:44.399
129
00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:47.600
130
00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:51.519
131
00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:54.879
132
00:07:54.920 --> 00:07:57.759
133
00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:01.720
134
00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:05.839
135
00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:09.040
136
00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:12.199
137
00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:16.360
138
00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:20.319
139
00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:23.680
140
00:08:23.720 --> 00:08:27.399
141
00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:32.480
142
00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:36.360
143
00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:39.919
144
00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:43.919
145
00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:47.519
146
00:08:47.559 --> 00:08:50.919
147
00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:53.519
148
00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:56.159
149
00:08:56.200 --> 00:08:59.320
150
00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:03.480
