Nov. 7, 2025
Crown and Candle! Meghan blasted for flogging $64 “royal” candle as Harry bombs on podcast
Meghan faces heat for flashing a royal cypher as she teases her As Ever holiday line, while Harry’s unvetted podcast cameo with Hasan Minhaj raises fresh optics questions. Plus: Does Andrew’s fate set a precedent that should worry Harry, is Mike Tindall courting a family ruck with a breakaway league, and why life at Sandringham may be a long, lonely grind for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Hear our new show "Crown and Controversy: Prince Andrew" here.
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Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intry Game.
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I'm your host, Mark Francis. Meghan Michaels once again facing
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criticism over her use of royal imagery, this time in
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connection with her new as ever holiday collection. Ahead of
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the launch, the Duchess shared a short video showing herself
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at work on her laptop with one of her sixty
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four dollar candles in a blue notebook bearing her gold
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royal cipher, the letter M topped with a crown clearly
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visible on her desk. The symbol was first unveiled in
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twenty eighteen, shortly before her wedding to Prince Harry. Online
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reaction was swift. Some social media users accused Meghan of
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cashing in on her royal past to promote her lifestyle brand.
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One user wrote another example of Megan putting her royal
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cipher on pretty much anything, while another added pretty difficult
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to sell a candle for that price if it's not royal.
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The new collection leans heavily on royal nostalgia. The signature
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candle number five one nine is said to evoke the
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freshness of a day in the English countryside, where clearly
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Megan has spent a lot of time and remembers fondly.
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The Duchess's website describes it as inspired by her cherished
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memories of her wedding day. As one online observer put it,
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without the crown, it's just a candle. Prince Harry's latest
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podcast appearance has taken an unexpected turn. What began as
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a lighthearted conversation about family life and social media has
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now sparked fresh controversy. The Duke made a surprise appearance
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on Hassan Minaj Doesn't Know Where. The American comedian opened
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the episode with a question about supposed feud between Taylor
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Swift and Charlie XCX. Harry looked visibly confused, laughing awkwardly
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as he admitted he had no idea what Minage was
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talking about. While the exchange was meant to be playful,
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insideers say the episode has caused some concern behind the scenes.
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According to columnist Rob Shooter, Harry's team didn't vet Minage
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before agreeing to the appearance. He walked into this blind.
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A Hollywood publicist told Shooter his team didn't vet the
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host at all. Minage, once celebrated for his sharp political comedy,
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has faced criticism in recent years over exaggerated anecdotes and
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reports of workplace tension. While he has defended his story
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telling his creative license, his reputation remains polarising, and some
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Royal watchers believe the booking was an avoidable misstep. Harry
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also gamely attempted an American accent, joking about ordering breadsticks
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with ranch at Applebee's and declaring that the most American
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thing he does is surf, though he admitted he has
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chicken legs and prefers to keep them covered. At one point,
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Minaj's joked that he deserved to be knighted. Harry laughed
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and replied it happily obliged if there happened to be
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a sword handy. One former network booker told Shooter, it
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looks like Harry is endorsing someone known for exaggeration. That's
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terrible optics for a prince who already over shares. Ganaj
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asked Harry if we would become an American citizen. Harry
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was somewhat clear there are no plans to be at
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this point. In the express, Rebecca Russell asks, we also
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now have a precedent, so the question is should Prince
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Harry be worried. Let me be the first to say that,
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of course, what Harry has done over the last five
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years is in no way comparable to what Andrew was
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accused of doing, despite his repeated denials of the claims.
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But the missiles Harry has launched at his family using
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every medium possible, will undoubtedly have a firm place in
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the scandalous pages of future history books. We have been
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funneled stories of the King's improving relations with his darling
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boy after their fleeting tea at Clarence House earlier this year,
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which might stop the monarch from going nucleon. So we
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will just have to wait and see. The fact of
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the matter is that the royal rules set down by
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King George the Fifth in nineteen seventeen looked from the
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outside to be a near unfathomable arcane, not which would
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tax the brains of even the best lawyers. But the
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King has proved it can be done if required. Yes,
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he's a man intent on inclusion, on harmony, on friendship
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and faith, but he can be tough when needed, particular
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with his Queen Steadfast Prince William and Matriarch in the
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making Kate by his side. Rugby star Mike Tindall may
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soon find himself in a royal scrum, and not the
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kind is used to. Reports suggest the former England Center
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and I'm a Celebrity a lum could be in for
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an ear bashing from his formidable mother in law, Princess Anne,
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after it emerged he's backing a controversial new rugby venture
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that might ruffle feathers across the royal family. Tindall is
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said to be involved in plans for R three sixty,
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a global breakaway league featuring twelve franchises, eight men's teams
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and four women's in what could become a serious rival
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to the traditional rugby unions. The concept has already raised
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eyebrows among sporting officials, but the family angle makes it
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even trickier. Prince William serves as patron of the Welsh
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Rugby Union, the Princess of Wales holds the same role
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for the Rugby Football Union, and Princess Anne is patron
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of Scottish rugby. According to The Daily Mail, national unions
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are already threatening to ban players who joined the proposed
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league from representing their countries. The paper notes that Tyndall,
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who earned seventy five caps for England may be taking
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on family big beasts who represents the status quo, and,
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as one insider put it, in a ruck between the two,
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only a fool would bet against Anne More Palace in
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just a moment. For Andrew mount Batton Windsor, his upcoming
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life at Sandringham is being described by those close to
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the royal household in one word bleak. The Kings of
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Norfolk State may bustle with activity during the family's traditional
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Christmas gathering, but for most of the year it is
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a quiet, wind swept expanse of farmland and forest. A
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former courtier summed it up plainly. It's going to be
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a lonely life for him. It's a working farm, so
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there are always people around, but they are staff and
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he's not someone who has a track record of being
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friendly with servants. I wouldn't want to live there the
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whole time. It's remote, there is the wind whipping up
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from the wash, it's cold, and he will be pretty
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much stuck there. It does have a certain beauty, but
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life will be bleak for him. Having lived for decades
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in the thirty room Royal Lodge with full time staff,
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Andrew is now expected to move into what is being
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described as a modest cottage on Standringham at state at
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sixty five. He may have to learn some unfamiliar domestic skills.
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Maybe he will have a housekeeper, said one former member
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of royal staff. But he's going to have to learn
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to fend for himself. He will certainly have plenty of
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time to learn domestic skills, as well as plenty of
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time for contemplation. The Telegraph reminds us that unlike his nephew,
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the Prince of Wales, who once lived in a relatively
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normal student life, Andrew has been fully institutionalized since birth.
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Even during his years in the Royal Navy he had
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cooks and subordinates to manage his daily needs. Former aides
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say he has never cooked a meal, washed clothes, or
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even gone shopping for groceries. Sources suggest the King will
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allow some limited staff support, perhaps a cleaner and a cook,
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but Andrew will live as a private citizen, without the
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privileges or public role that once defined him. From the
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home counties and far from his daughter's homes in London.
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He is expected to live largely in isolation, with only
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his dogs for company. Royal observers note the King will
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need to decide whether Andrew will be permitted to join
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the family for Christmas services, or whether visitors will have
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to call on him privately, as was once the case
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with Sarah Ferguson. There are small consolations. Sandraingham's twenty thousand
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acre estate will offer him time to ride horses, as
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he often did at Windsor, and to indulge his passion
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for golf at nearby clubs in Heacham, kings Lynn and Middleton.
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The Royal stud whether late Queen Bred her race horses
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is also based on the estate, but total privacy will
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be hard to come by. Sandraingham is criss crossed with
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public roads and popular walking routes regularly monitored by photographers,
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and just seven miles away since the Pizza Express and
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kings Lynn, a detail not lost on the public given
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Andrew's infamous Newsnight interview reference to dining at one of
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the chain's restaurants in Woking. On the knight, Virginia Jeffrey
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alleged she met him. Whether or not he ever ventures there,
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things seems certain. After a lifetime of privilege, Andrew mount
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Batten Windsor is facing a far quieter and lonely existence
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than he has ever known. And there you have it.
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If you'd like to email us addresses the Palace Intrigue
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at gmail dot com. And also a reminder, if you
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are into listening to the whole biography of Andrew's life,
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we have a new show out called Crown and Controversy
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Prince Andrew telling his life from childhood to his fall
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from grace. It's available now wherever you get your podcasts.
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There are links in the show notes, or just search
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for Crowd and Controversy Prince Andrew. I'm Mark Francis my
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thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue in good times.
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00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:46.480
123
00:06:46.519 --> 00:06:50.240
124
00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:53.240
125
00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:55.720
126
00:06:55.720 --> 00:07:00.319
127
00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:02.879
128
00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:05.839
129
00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:09.360
130
00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:12.120
131
00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:15.319
132
00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:17.560
133
00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:22.399
134
00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:24.639
135
00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:27.079
136
00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:30.920
137
00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:33.720
138
00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:37.600
139
00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:39.720
140
00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:43.959
141
00:07:44.279 --> 00:07:46.560
142
00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:49.680
143
00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:53.120
144
00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:56.360
145
00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:59.720
146
00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:03.399
147
00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:06.600
148
00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:09.680
149
00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:13.040
150
00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:17.000
151
00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:20.639
152
00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:23.240
153
00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:28.639
154
00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:31.600
155
00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:34.320
156
00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:38.320
157
00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:42.360
