Can King Charles Save the Monarchy? Harry, William, and the Cost of Royal Dysfunction

0:03 Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Indriga. I am your host, Mark Francis. The New York Times asked can King Charles Hill a royal family crisis before it's too late? The details of the crisis will be very familiar to listeners to this podcast, but to catch everyone up, maxit, Netflix, spare BBC interview. The Times writes some royal watches warm that unless Charles finds a way to heal that rift, it could define his reign, undercutting the messages of tolerance and inclusiveness that he has long championed. They cite former BBC Royal correspondent Peter Hunt, who says, when history comes to be written about the King, this will reflect badly on him. He represents an institution that is about family unity and fostering forgiveness. His role is to bring people together, and yet he can't bring people together on his doorstep.

1:02 The article then recaps the fight between the brothers and the various Prince Andrew scandals before focusing on Williams workload. Historian Ed Owens said William has sometimes been seen as work shy, but we see him gravitating toward bigger more media friendly events. He's burnishing his reputation as a statesman. The notion of William being lazy has been coming up more often. Royal expert Richard fitz Williams discussed the subject with Anti Monarchy group Republic CEO Graham Smith, perfects Williams, there's no doubt that if you take charitable activities, the monarchy has an absolutely unique profile. Smith fired back, there's so much stuff staiding about the monarchy which isn't true.

1:42 There has been a very deep, detailed study on their impact on charity by an independent authority which said the impact is close to zero. Part of the problem with them, and part of the problem with William, who is in line to be the next monarch, is he's incredibly lazy. He doesn't do anything. In the last month he did about four days of work. When I say work, I mean turning up and waving at people, most of which is done in or near their houses. They cost us. It cost us half a billion a year for a whole family, which we do not need, including people that most people would have never heard of. They're all included in this cost. New figures from the House of Commons Library revealed that the Sovereign Grant, the primary source of public funding for the monarchy, has risen from thirty one million pounds in twenty twelve to one hundred and thirty two million in the current financial year, representing a threefold increase when adjusted for inflation. The most recent jump, a fifty three percent increase from eighty six million to one hundred and thirty two million, was attributed by Palace aids to the ongoing ten year Buckingham Palace Reservicing Program, a three hundred and sixty nine million pound refurbishment effort to modernize cabling, plumbing, wiring and safety systems at the palace.

2:55 The palace spokesperson defended the increase, stating the sovereign grant were made virtually flat five years from twenty twenty during a period of high inflation. The majority of the increases. This year's Sovereign grant is to fund the Buckingham Palace Reservicing Program, which is ensuring that the Palace, a national asset, is accessible and protected from fire and flood. In twenty twenty three to twenty four, the monarchy's spending included one million pounds on helicopter flights to zero point two million pounds in electricity twenty three thousand pounds for a three day visit by the Duke of Kent to regimental events in Scotland. In return, the Royal Household supported twenty three hundred public engagements, hosted one hundred five thousand guests, and ran four hundred events while fulfilling constitutional duties and supporting diplomacy.

3:40 As public finances remained strained and generational attitudes shift, the Royal Household may continue to face questions not just about what they cost, but what they're worth. Once vilified for a column widely condemned as misogynistic and cruel, Jeremy Clarkson now appears to have found a path, however, unlikely into the royal circle. The former top Gear presenter caused uproar in December of twenty twenty two when writing in the Sun he declared he hated making Markel on a cellular level and fantasized about seeing her publicly humiliated. The backlash was swift and severe, prompting Clarkson to issue a formal apology, which he said he had sent personally to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. A spokesperson for Prince Harry dismissed the gesture, condemning Clarkson's long standing pattern of writing articles that spread hate rhetoric, dangerous conspiracy theories and misogyny. Despite that grim chapter, Clarkson has since made a number of public appearances alongside members of the royal family, chief among them Prince William, who was said to appear in the newest series of Clarkson's Farm. The Prince of Wales visited Clarkson's Ditty Squad Farm in Oxfordshire in March of twenty five and met cast regulars Caleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland.

4:48 During the visit, William shared that his eldest son, Prince George, is a fan of the show. You've got George watching now, William told Caleb. I said to him, what shall I say if I meet Caleb? He said, tell Caleb to mind his language. It's not the only royal connection in Clarkson's orbit. Hugh van Kutzen, a lifelong friend of Prince Harry, has also made appearances on the show. Hugh and his wife Rose have previously hosted Harry and Meghan for supper and were guests at the Sussex's wedding in twenty eighteen. Clarkston's re emergence in royal company didn't end in the Cotswolds. He was a guest at Queen Cammella's private Christmas luncheon in December of twenty twenty two, mere days after his infamous article, and in March of twenty four he mingled with Zara Tyndall and Princess Eugenie during a weekend in Bahrain for the Formula one Grand Prix Palace Intriga be right Back. The relationship between William and Harry appears to have reached a new low, with reports suggesting the rift between the royal siblings is now, in the words of one expert, fully broken. According to Royal photographer Arthur Edwards, speaking on The Son's Royal Exclusive program, Prince William just can't stand Prince Harry anymore, making a dramatic shift from the brothers once famously close relationship. Edwards said William and Harry were so close all their life. Everything they did together, they went, and they did everything together. They so close and now something must have happened that seriously happened that William just can't stand him. Anymore, and that's just so sad.

6:13 The deterioration in relations is believed to have worsened following Harry's BBC interview earlier this month. Edwards is hopeful, adding I do believe in the prodigal son. You can say I'm sorry and repent and promise not to do it again, and I'm sure the King and William will say, okay, let's give it another try. Edward's also disgustedly perceived change in Harry, saying when we were on the road with Harry, we never got the feeling that he hated the press. Then he was very cooperative with the press. We used to go to the pub with him and have a drink with him, and he was different then. Since he married Megan, he changed. Royal expert Robert Jobson says, Prince Harry may not be the sharpest tool, he may not be the smartest, but he's smart enough to realize that at this moment in time, at this moment of our world, his father has a big role to play. By doing what he's doing, he's undermining not only his country, his father as a father, but the King. He always tells us that he loves his country, he always tells us he loves the institution of monarchy. The reality is his father is doing a very important job at the moment and that should be respected by somebody who, after all, served in Afghanistan. Despite saying the UK is too dangerous for his family, Prince Harry has undertaken solo visits to some of the world's most volatile regions. Most recently, he traveled to Leviv and western Ukraine, a city which, while not on the front line, has endured repeated aerial bombardments during Russia's ongoing invasion. His visit to a rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers was unannounced and not cleared with Buckingham Pawace, leading some to question the optics and motives behind the trip.

7:42 Veteran royal correspondent Richard Palmer noted the apparent contradiction, saying people are saying any on, it's come over because he needs police protection because he's not safe in the UK. But then he's gone to a war zone in Ukraine, and that is not the only eyebrow raising destined nation. In recent months, the Duke and Duchess have also visited Nigeria, Columbia and Mexico, all countries under official travel advisories from both the UK and US governments due to crime, civil unrest or terrorism, while in Columbia last August, the Peers quasi royal tour reportedly cost the host nation some one point five million dollars in security expenses, a point not lost on critics in a country where many lived below the poverty line. A British former Royal Protection officer told Mail Online they have been chosen to visit one, if not the most dangerous countries in the world, but nothing amazes me with Harry and Meghan these days. Despite all this, the Sussexes have maintained their commitment to philanthropy and causes close to their hearts, namely mental health, veterans affairs, and online safety. A spokesperson insisted that many of their travels were self funded, with logistical support provided by international agencies and in some cases host governments. Still, the issue of Harry's security remains a contentious one, as legal team argued that the threat to his life is real and specific, citing terror threats made against him in the past, but critics point to an incident last year in which the Prince reportedly ordered a delivery takeaway to a friend's London home, move deemed an unthinkable security risk by former protection officer Ken Wharf. And there you have it. Like the email us, our addresses the Palace Entry get gmail dot com, please

9:14 follow us on Spotify, Apple, the Apple of your twice and leaves a nice review from enjoying the show. And don't forget. We have a new show out called Diddy Do It. It's a daily update from the court case of Sean Diddy Combs, a daily podcast bringing you up to speed. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts. Diddy Do It. I'm Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermot. This is Palace Intrigue and good Damns.