Aug. 1, 2026

Camilla’s Secret Harry Fears: “She Won’t Let Charles Be Blindsided Twice”

Show Notes
Transcript

Reports claim Queen Camilla supports peace with Prince Harry but remains deeply wary of trusting him again. Plus: her unexpected adjustment to royal life, Prince Edward’s former girlfriend reveals the Balmoral test, and the dark legends surrounding the Royal Family’s supposedly cursed jewels.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/palace-intrigue-king-charles-meghan-markle-and-all-the-royal-family-gossip--4522904/support.

Palace Intrigue is a daily British royal family podcast covering King Charles, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and the House of Windsor. New episodes every day. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:11.240
A calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Pallas Intrigue.

2
00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:14.400
I am your host, Mark Francis, Queen Camilla's friends say

3
00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:18.239
she has embraced the demands of royal life despite never

4
00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:21.480
expecting to take on such a prominent public role. Camilla,

5
00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:24.920
who recently celebrated her seventy ninth birthday, spent much of

6
00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:27.559
her adult life away from the spotlight before marrying the

7
00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:30.679
future King Charles in two thousand and five. She became

8
00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:35.000
queen when Charles ascended the throne. Friends, speaking to Hell magazine,

9
00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:38.079
said the transition has been dramatic, but one she has

10
00:00:38.119 --> 00:00:42.840
accepted with remarkable ease. Author Catherine Mayer, who knows the queen,

11
00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:45.479
said this is a woman who really was very happy

12
00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:48.560
not having a career, and who liked to potter and

13
00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:51.439
do things that interested her. Now suddenly she has this

14
00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:54.320
huge role. She added she lived a lot of a

15
00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:58.280
life in different directions to most of us. Broadcaster author

16
00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:02.200
and former MP Charles Brandreth also said Camilla has adjusted

17
00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:05.239
to a workload that would surprise many people her age.

18
00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:07.760
You might think she could slow down, but they are

19
00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:11.040
having to quicken the pace, he told the magazine. But

20
00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:14.000
I never get the impression that she is doing it reluctantly.

21
00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:18.599
Brandreth also described Camilla as someone who remains grounded despite

22
00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:22.040
her position. I don't think she sees birthdays as a

23
00:01:22.040 --> 00:01:24.319
big deal, but family is very important to her, so

24
00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:28.359
that is a kind of celebration, he said. He added

25
00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.760
that when people remind her she is approaching another milestone birthday,

26
00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.959
she pulls her face and says, thank you for reminding me.

27
00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:38.439
I think the truth is she's in a good place. Though.

28
00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:41.159
When you say to her, well done, it's going so well,

29
00:01:41.239 --> 00:01:44.560
she strugs and says, well on we go. The article

30
00:01:44.599 --> 00:01:48.799
also highlights an unusual piece of royal trivia. Genealogical research

31
00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:51.760
has linked Queen Camilla to singers Madonna and Celine Dion,

32
00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:56.239
with all three reportedly descending from the same seventeenth century

33
00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:59.799
French Canadian couple. Actress Angelina Jolie has also been connected

34
00:01:59.799 --> 00:02:05.040
through the same extended family tree. Camilla is reportedly willing

35
00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:07.560
to support efforts to repair the royal family's relationship with

36
00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:10.520
Prince Harry, but one report claims she remains deeply cautious

37
00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:13.680
about trusting him again. According to Rob Shooter's Naughty but

38
00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:17.479
Nice newsletter Camilla backed Harry's recent reunion with King Charles,

39
00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:22.599
but is approaching any reconciliation with caution. One unnamed Pallace

40
00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:26.719
source claimed Camilla wants peace because she loves Charles. She

41
00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:29.759
watched this family fracture in public, and if there's a

42
00:02:29.879 --> 00:02:33.199
chance to heal it, she'll stand beside her husband. But

43
00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:36.280
forgiveness doesn't erase memory, and she hasn't forgotten what Harry

44
00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:40.439
has said and done. Another source claimed she's convinced Harry

45
00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:43.560
could turn on the family again the moment things don't

46
00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.599
go his way. Her priority is protecting the King from

47
00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:50.520
another round of heartbreak. She won't let Charles be blindsided twice.

48
00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:54.759
The newsletter also claims Camilla has continued to strengthen her

49
00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:58.039
relationship with Prince William as the future of the monarchy.

50
00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:02.639
A source said Camilla understands how this story ends. One day,

51
00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:05.479
William will be king. She wants his respect now because

52
00:03:05.639 --> 00:03:09.039
he'll ultimately shape her place in the institution after Charles.

53
00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:12.800
Nothing has strengthened their bond more than their caution about Harry,

54
00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:17.080
and Inside acclaimed neither believes one meeting wipes the sleet clean.

55
00:03:17.479 --> 00:03:21.360
Trust has to be rebuilt, and trust has to be rebuilt,

56
00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:25.479
and they don't think Harry is there yet. Prince Edward's

57
00:03:25.479 --> 00:03:28.759
former girlfriend, West End actress Ruthie Henshall has opened up

58
00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:30.800
about what it was like to face the royal family's

59
00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:34.560
famous bow Moral Test. Henshall, who dated Edward for five

60
00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:37.479
years during the nineteen nineties, has written about their relationship

61
00:03:37.479 --> 00:03:40.599
in a new memoir, The Show Girl The Prince. The

62
00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:44.080
book covers these secretive early days of their romance, visits

63
00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:46.800
to Buckingham Palace and tea with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor.

64
00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:50.400
It also includes Henshall's experience of being invited to bow Moral,

65
00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:54.800
the Royal family's private Scottish residence. The so called bow

66
00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:58.199
Moral Test has long been seen as an unofficial initiation

67
00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:02.680
for serious royal partners. Princess Diana visited in nineteen eighty.

68
00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.560
Catherine spent time there before marrying Prince William. Megan Markle

69
00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:10.759
was invited in twenty eighteen. Speaking on Hello Magazine, a

70
00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:14.800
Right Royal podcast, Henschell said she arrived without knowing what

71
00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:16.920
to expect and was surprised to be given her own

72
00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:21.240
personal maid. Despite the grandeur of the estate. She remembered

73
00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:24.240
the family behaving in a relaxed and surprisingly ordinary way

74
00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:27.800
that they were away from the public duties. There were

75
00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:31.560
outdoor cookouts and according to Henschell, no protection officers hovering

76
00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:34.480
around the gathering. King Charles, who was then the Prince

77
00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:36.680
of Wales, even took charge of drinks. They were all

78
00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:39.279
quite jolly. I think everyone was jolly by the time

79
00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:42.439
we'd had a few martinis. Charles was manning the bar.

80
00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:45.519
He made a very strong martini. He probably did that

81
00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:48.959
on purpose, Henchel said. A stay at bou Moral can

82
00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:52.279
still be demanding for newcomers. Guests are expected to understand

83
00:04:52.360 --> 00:04:56.199
royal protocol, keep conversations flowing, and be prepared for sudden

84
00:04:56.279 --> 00:04:59.399
changes to the day's schedule. That can mean quickly changing

85
00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:03.000
from muddy outdoor clothes into formal evening whear while appearing

86
00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:06.120
completely comfortable with the family's love of hunting, walking and

87
00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:09.800
outdoor life. The bow Moral test has become part of

88
00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:13.759
royal folkore, particularly because Princess Diana was said to have

89
00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:16.959
impressed Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during her first visit.

90
00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:20.959
Royal commentator Omut Scurby previously described the experience as more

91
00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:24.399
of a royal initiation than a simple country house invitation.

92
00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:28.120
Out of those privileged enough to have been invited to

93
00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:32.839
Bowmoral Castle during the summer, not everyone has passed. Diana

94
00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:37.480
famously flew through it thanks to her aristocratic background and upbringing,

95
00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:40.680
but the likes of Scheri Blair and Boris Johnson have not.

96
00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:43.399
If you've scored an invite, prepared to brush up on

97
00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:46.720
your royal protocol, have a wealth of talking points at

98
00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:51.160
the ready, and an outfit for every occasion from hunting

99
00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:54.600
to black tie, and most importantly, be on your best

100
00:05:54.639 --> 00:05:58.199
behavior at all times. Social etiquette is a must. If

101
00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:01.240
you don't like the food, eat it. If you don't

102
00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:03.600
like trampling through the highlands in the wind and rain,

103
00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:12.639
tough more pallaceing just a moment. The British royal family

104
00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:15.759
is home to one of the world's most famous jewelry collections,

105
00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:19.279
but not every glittering piece comes with a glamorous reputation.

106
00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:21.959
HOWI magazine took a look at some pieces with a

107
00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:25.839
colorful backstory. Over the years, several royal tiaras and crowns

108
00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:29.600
have become surrounded by stories of bad luck, tragedy, and

109
00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:33.480
even alleged curses. Perhaps the best known example is the

110
00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:38.120
Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara, a diamond headpiece designed by Prince

111
00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:40.759
Albert in eighteen sixty one as a wedding gift for

112
00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:45.600
his daughter, Princess Alice. The tiara's dark reputation began almost

113
00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:49.759
immediately Prince Albert died of typhoid before he could attend

114
00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:54.199
Alice's wedding. Years later, Alice endured heartbreaking personal losses when

115
00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:57.879
her young son, Prince Frederick, died after falling from a window,

116
00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.079
followed by the deaths of her daughter, Princess Marie, and

117
00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:05.920
then Alice herself during a diphtheria outbreak. The tiara later

118
00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.079
passed to Alice's son Ernest, Grand Duke of Hesse. His

119
00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:13.800
first wife, Victoria Melita, wore it to the coronation of

120
00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:17.240
Sir Nicholas the second. Their only son later died of

121
00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:22.120
typhoid and the marriage ended in divorce. Ernest's second wife

122
00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:25.680
also inherited the tiara, and eventually it was worn by

123
00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:29.120
Princess Cecil of Greece and Denmark after worrying it to

124
00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:31.800
King George the Six Coronations. Silk bordered a flight while

125
00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:34.800
traveling to a family wedding during the journey, she went

126
00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:38.560
into premature labor and the aircraft crashed into a factory

127
00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:43.240
chimney and heavy fog over Belgium, killing everyone aboard. According

128
00:07:43.240 --> 00:07:45.720
to the legend, the Tiara itself survived the crash and

129
00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:49.160
is now held by the foundation of the House of Hesse.

130
00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:53.800
Another royal jewel often mentioned in stories of superstition as

131
00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:58.360
the Oriental Circlet Tiara, created in eighteen fifty three. It

132
00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:01.360
originally featured more than two tentsand and six hundred diamonds

133
00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:05.680
along with Ople's. While Queen Alexandra inherited the peace, she

134
00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:09.519
reportedly believed oples brought misfortune. In nineteen oh two, she

135
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:13.079
had every opal removed and replaced with Burmese rubies from

136
00:08:13.399 --> 00:08:17.480
Queen Victoria's collection under Queen Victoria's wishes that Tiara is

137
00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:22.480
traditionally reserved for queens and future queens. The Grand Duchess

138
00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:26.959
Vladimir Tiara has a different kind of dramatic history commission

139
00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:30.839
for Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia, the Tiara was

140
00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:34.279
left behind when she fled the Russian Revolution after the

141
00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:38.600
assassination of Sir Nicholas the Second. The jewel was later

142
00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:42.159
secretly recovered from the palace and brought to Britain. Maria

143
00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:44.399
never saw it again. Eventually, it was sold to Queen

144
00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:48.200
Mary and later inherited by Queen Elizabeth Second, who famously

145
00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:53.000
wore it for decades after having it modified with interchangeable emeralds.

146
00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:55.919
It was also the final tiara Queen Elizabeth War before

147
00:08:55.960 --> 00:08:59.759
her death in twenty twenty two. Perhaps no royal jewel

148
00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:03.519
has inspired more debate than the Koe Nua diamond. The

149
00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:06.919
famous gem, whose name means mountain of light, has changed

150
00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:10.559
hands through multiple empires over hundreds of years before becoming

151
00:09:10.559 --> 00:09:13.200
part of the British Crown Jewels after the Second Anglo

152
00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:17.600
Sikh War. Legend holds that the diamond brings terrible misfortune

153
00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:20.240
to any man who wears it, while women are said

154
00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:23.559
to be spared the curse. Queen Victoria first wore the

155
00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:27.240
diamond as approached before it was eventually set into a crown,

156
00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:30.320
worn by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at the nineteen

157
00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:34.279
thirty seven coronation and again during Queen Elizabeth's the Second's

158
00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:37.879
coronation in nineteen fifty three. Today, the Koenor remains on

159
00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:40.039
display with the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London,

160
00:09:40.279 --> 00:09:44.120
although its ownership continues to be disputed, with India, Iran

161
00:09:44.200 --> 00:09:48.879
and Afghanistan all having laid claim to the historic diamond.

162
00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:51.840
And there you have it. If you would like to

163
00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.720
email us addresses the Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com.

164
00:09:54.759 --> 00:09:56.639
Please follow us on Spotify and you can leave a

165
00:09:56.679 --> 00:09:58.840
comment there. And if you're on Apple, hit that button

166
00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:00.399
up there that's just listened on into up to and

167
00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:02.559
get the show commercial free for just five bucks a

168
00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:05.720
month by my Francis My thanks to John mcdermoy. This

169
00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:07.840
is Palace Intrigue and continumes

Camilla’s Secret Harry Fears: “She Won’t Let Charles Be Blindsided Twice”

Listen On

Recent Episodes