July 6, 2026

Charles Holds a Royal Family Summit as Harry’s Visit Looms

Show Notes
Transcript

King Charles gathers senior royals in Scotland ahead of Harry’s expected return, while Catherine’s return to royal work continues, Camilla meets J.K. Rowling, Sophie debuts a new look, and Meghan’s latest As Ever honey sparks another online debate.

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
00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:11.919
A calorouga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.

2
00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:14.720
I am your host, Mark Francis. King Charles held a

3
00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:17.879
family summit of sorts last week. The King hosted a

4
00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:21.239
rare private family dinner with several senior royals in Scotland

5
00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:24.839
as questions continue over Prince Harry's expected return to Britain.

6
00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:27.600
According to The Daily Mail, the couple hosted what is

7
00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:30.920
known in royal circles as a dine and sleep at

8
00:00:30.920 --> 00:00:33.840
the Palace of holyrood House, with the Prince of Wales,

9
00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:36.799
Princess Royal and the Duke of Edinburgh all staying over night.

10
00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:39.920
Prince William had been an Aberdeen earlier in the day

11
00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:43.000
for an engagement connected to his Homewoods initiative on homelessness,

12
00:00:43.320 --> 00:00:46.479
before traveling to Edinburgh to join the family. Princess Anne

13
00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.759
and Prince Edward had already been with the King at

14
00:00:48.759 --> 00:00:52.960
a garden party at holyrood House private family gatherings. I'm

15
00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:56.679
not listed in the Court circular and Buckingham Palace declined

16
00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:59.119
to comment on the dinner, but the timing is likely

17
00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:01.799
to attract a ten coming just days before Prince Harry

18
00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:05.000
is expected in the UK for engagements connected to the

19
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:09.719
Invictor's Games. Even more footage from the Princess of Wales's

20
00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:12.879
Three Peaks challenge has emerged. The video shows Princess Catherine

21
00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:16.480
making her way down Mount Snowden alongside her younger brother James.

22
00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:19.319
At one point, the parisine holding hands as they carefully

23
00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:22.480
navigate the rocky descent from the summit. The Princess kept

24
00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.040
her hiking outfit practical, wearing red north faced shorts, a

25
00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:28.159
baseball cap and a backpack as the group completed the

26
00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.879
final leg of the challenge. The footage was captured by

27
00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:34.040
entrepreneur Philip Tabaja, who said he had no idea he

28
00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:37.319
had just encountered the future Queen. He wrote on social media.

29
00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:39.840
There I was congratulating fellow climbers as they made their

30
00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.079
way down from the windy summit. Little did I know

31
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.239
it was actually speaking to Royalty. The Princess of Wales

32
00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:48.079
had just stopped to congratulate me on completing the challenge

33
00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:51.159
and then agreed to take a selfie. The pr Machine

34
00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:53.959
wants us to know Kate is back to work. According

35
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:58.920
to the Court circular, Catherine welcomed Australian philanthropist Nicola Forrest

36
00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:01.879
in her capacity as of the Royal Foundation, the charitable

37
00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:05.159
organization she shares with Prince William. As is often the

38
00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:07.640
case with private meetings, no details of the discussion were

39
00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:10.520
released and no photographs were published, but Royal watchers have

40
00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:13.439
noted that the meeting comes as hopes continue to grow

41
00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:15.120
that the Prince and Princess of Wales could return to

42
00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:20.080
Australia in the near future. A new report suggests family

43
00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:23.479
plans to spend the summer much closer to home. Daily

44
00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:26.280
Mail Royal editor Charlotte Griffiths said that she had been

45
00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:28.639
told William wants to hunkered down with the kids after

46
00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:30.919
they finish at school. It's a really important summer for

47
00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:35.120
the Whales family. The timing is significant. Prince George is

48
00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:38.319
expected to begin at Eton in September. The report says

49
00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.560
William is expected to split its time between Amner Hall,

50
00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:43.639
the family's Norfolk home, and the annual summer gathering at

51
00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:47.319
Balmoral in Scotland. As President of the Football Association and

52
00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:50.479
a lifelong football supporter, William had been widely expected to

53
00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:53.240
attend matches if England made a deep run in the tournament.

54
00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:58.199
Queen Camilla Welcome author JK. Rowling for a conversation centered

55
00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:00.960
on their shared belief in the importance of getting children

56
00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:04.240
to read. According to Buckingham Palace, the discussion focused on

57
00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:06.840
encouraging young people to read for pleasure and making sure

58
00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:09.199
children have access to books. In the statement of the

59
00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:12.800
Royal Family said Her Majesty and Misrowling discussed the importance

60
00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:15.439
of ensuring that young people have access to books and

61
00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:19.280
the vital part reading plays in opening doors for future generations.

62
00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.719
The Palace also noted that the Queen and Rowling share

63
00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:24.879
a deep commitment to children reading for pleasure. Rowling, of course,

64
00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:27.759
as the creator of the Harry Potter series, much of

65
00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:30.479
which she wrote while living in Edinburgh. The city remains

66
00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:33.639
closely associated with the books, with locations including the Elephant

67
00:03:33.639 --> 00:03:37.240
House Cafe drawing visitors from around the world. The meeting

68
00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:39.960
took part as part of Royal Week, also known as

69
00:03:40.039 --> 00:03:43.000
holyrood At Week got under weigh every summer, the King

70
00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:46.360
and Queen spent several days in Edinburgh celebrating Scottish culture,

71
00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:50.319
honoring community leaders and carrying out a series of official engagements.

72
00:03:50.840 --> 00:03:53.520
The week began with the traditional ceremony of the Keys

73
00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:56.520
at the Palace of Holyrood House. King Charles arrived to

74
00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:59.039
a military welcome before receiving the symbolic keys to the

75
00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:03.879
City of Edinburgh the Lord Provost Robert Aldridge. As tradition dictates,

76
00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:07.039
the Lord Provost declared, we, the Lord Provost of members

77
00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:09.520
of the City of Edinburgh Council, welcome your Majesty to

78
00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:13.000
the capital city of your ancient and hereditary Kingdom of Scotland,

79
00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:15.599
and offer for your greatest acceptance the keys of your

80
00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:19.120
Majesty's good City of Edinburgh. The King responded with the

81
00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:22.160
century's old reply, and I returned these keys perfectly convinced

82
00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:24.439
that they cannot be placed in better hands than those

83
00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:27.319
of the Lord Provost and Councilors of my good City

84
00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:31.800
of Edinburgh. The Queen's meeting with author J. K. Rowling

85
00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:36.199
has also sparked criticism from some LGBTQ plus activists. After

86
00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:38.959
the royal family shared photographs of the vision on social

87
00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:42.040
media during the final day of Pride Month, one commenter wrote,

88
00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:44.240
there's a lot of other children's authors that you could

89
00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:47.480
have worked on with this. Another commentant during Pride Month

90
00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:51.439
is a statement criticism reflects the continuing controversy surrounding Rowling's

91
00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:53.959
public comments on sex and gender. In recent years, the

92
00:04:53.959 --> 00:04:55.959
Harry Potter author has become one of the most prominent

93
00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:59.279
figures in Britain's debate over transgender rights, drawing both strong

94
00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:04.000
support and equal strong opposition. Queen Camella added another literary

95
00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:07.000
organization to her growing list of patronages, becoming the Royal

96
00:05:07.079 --> 00:05:10.879
patron of Bronte Birthplace. The museum and community center housed

97
00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:14.120
in the former family home where the famous Bronte siblings

98
00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:16.959
were born. The houses where Charlotte, Emily Ann and their

99
00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:21.279
brother Branwell Bronti were born between eighteen sixteen and eighteen twenty,

100
00:05:21.720 --> 00:05:24.920
before the family later moved to Horworth, where the sisters

101
00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:28.279
would write some of English literature's most celebrated novels. Following

102
00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:31.040
a successful fundraising campaign, the building was transformed into a

103
00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:35.160
community owned museum, education center a cafe. It also offers

104
00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:38.279
overnight accommodations, allowing visitors to stay in rooms connected to

105
00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:43.639
the Bronte family's early years. Sophie debuted a fresh new hairstyle.

106
00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:46.279
The Dutchess appeared with her hair cut to just above

107
00:05:46.279 --> 00:05:48.759
her collar bone, trimming several interest from the longest style.

108
00:05:48.839 --> 00:05:51.079
She was worn for years. The new look also featured

109
00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:53.920
a lighter blonde color, giving her a noticeably different appearance.

110
00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:56.399
It is the first time Sophie has worn her hair

111
00:05:56.439 --> 00:05:58.959
this shortened more than a decade. She last sported a

112
00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:01.720
similar style in twenty feth before returning to her signature,

113
00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.720
longer hairstyle. Meanwhile, Prince Edward traded his familiar business suit

114
00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:07.560
for something a little more colorful last week as helped

115
00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:11.000
launch the final preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Edward,

116
00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:13.800
who serves as Vice Patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation,

117
00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:16.920
met staff and volunteers working behind the scenes before trying

118
00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:18.519
on one of the official jackets that will be worn

119
00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:21.959
during the event. The bright, eye catching design immediately caught

120
00:06:21.959 --> 00:06:25.319
the attention of royal watchers online. One person wrote on Instagram,

121
00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:27.959
he will stand out in a crowd. Others praise the

122
00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:31.800
Duke's appearance, with one writing what a colorful jacket and backpack.

123
00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:36.360
One particularly enthusiastic supporter wrote, love me some Prince Eddie vibes.

124
00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:38.319
What a good man. Not a scandal in sight, just

125
00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:42.279
kindness and protocol and a loving wife. More palace. In

126
00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:49.040
just a moment, Megan announced the release of Lavender honey,

127
00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:51.639
the fourth honey in the collection, following Wildflower, sage and

128
00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:55.240
orange blossom. In a post on as Eva's Instagram account,

129
00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:58.519
the brand introduced the product by saying, introducing our newest

130
00:06:58.639 --> 00:07:01.600
lavender honey, your foreigal of summer with a delicate warmth

131
00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:05.519
that lingers beautifully. The post also announced the brand's orange

132
00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.519
blossom honey, previously sold only as part of a two

133
00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:11.399
jar set, is now available as a single jar. But

134
00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:13.720
it wasn't the honey that caught people's attention. One of

135
00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:16.720
the promotional photographs showed honey dripping from the metal spoon,

136
00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:20.040
prompting debate among some social media users over whether metal

137
00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:23.480
should be used with honey. One critic wrote, Megan Michael

138
00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:25.959
is not the beekeeper that she pretends to be. Honey

139
00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:29.360
is acidic and full of delicate enzymes. Using metal spoons

140
00:07:29.399 --> 00:07:33.240
can trigger reactivity and degrade beneficial enzymes, ruining the honey's

141
00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:36.680
natural goodness and flavor. Beekeepers know to use wood or

142
00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:40.600
a bamboo. Another added, she is not anything that she

143
00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:45.199
pretends to be. Everything is an act. A third simply wrote, fakers, ever,

144
00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:48.959
there you have it before we go. If you're listening

145
00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:51.199
on Spotify, you can leave us a comment. If you're

146
00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:53.279
listening on Apple, we'd love for you to become a

147
00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:56.160
premium subscriber. Just tap that banner up there on the

148
00:07:56.199 --> 00:07:59.120
app that says uninterrupted Listening and you start a free

149
00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:01.920
thirty day trial. After that, it's just five bucks a month.

150
00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:05.920
You get this show completely ad free, and premium access

151
00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.680
to more than twenty five other Keller Rogushark Media podcasts,

152
00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:10.720
including all of our Royal series. Give it a try

153
00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:12.839
for a month, see what you think. We really appreciate

154
00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:16.279
your support. I'm Mike Francis my thanks to John McDermott.

155
00:08:16.279 --> 00:08:21.720
This is Palace Intrigue in good Times

Charles Holds a Royal Family Summit as Harry’s Visit Looms

Listen On

Recent Episodes