Jan. 12, 2026

Fergie’s Study Sex Scandal, Andrew’s Flood of Accusers, and the Palace Braces for a Prince Philip book

Show Notes
Transcript

Explosive new claims reopen the darkest chapter of the House of York. Fresh reporting alleges Sarah Ferguson carried on an affair inside Prince Andrew’s private study — while he slept upstairs. The accusations, drawn from multiple books and former household staff, revive memories of the York marriage’s spectacular collapse and the Palace’s fury at Ferguson’s behaviour.

Meanwhile, biographer Andrew Lownie says the dam has finally burst. Former protection officers, diplomats, naval figures, and palace insiders are now coming forward daily with new allegations about Andrew, prompting plans for a sequel rather than a simple book update. Sources warn there is now enough material to haunt the monarchy for years, with fears Andrew could ultimately flee abroad if pressure escalates further.

We also look at why Lownie’s newly announced Prince Philip project has triggered quiet alarm inside royal circles, as well as the contrast on display elsewhere in the family: Catherine releases a deeply personal cancer recovery film marking her birthday, while Queen Camilla promotes the growing reach of her Reading Room charity. As the York scandals resurface yet again, the Palace faces an uncomfortable truth — some ghosts simply refuse to stay buried.

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.

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Calarogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace intrigue Ga.

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I'm your host, Mark Francis. Radar Online reports that Sarah

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Ferguson is once again at the center of explosive claims

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about her marriage to Andrew, with fresh accounts alleging that

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she carried on an affair inside her husband's private study

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while he slept upstairs. The marriage between Ferguson and Andrew

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collapsed amid scandal in the nineteen nineties after years of

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temploid scrutiny, revelations and reports of affairs on both sides.

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Their divorce in nineteen ninety six followed the publication of

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infamous photographs showing Ferguson's American lover, John Bryan, sucking her

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toes while she holidayed without the then Prince Andrew. Now

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new reports suggest the relationship went much further than previously known.

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According to the book Fergie Her Secret Life, Brian stayed

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at Sunning Hill Park, the couple's marital home, and continued

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to sexual relationship with Ferguson inside Andrew's private rooms. The

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book claims when John Brian came to stay at Sunning Hill,

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he and Sarah would indulge in sex acts in Andrew's

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study after the prince had gone to bed. He goes

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on to say senior Pallace figures were appalled by her behavior,

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adding that Ferguson didn't care. The book quotes the Queen's

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former private secretary, Lord Charterers, who reportedly stormed vulgar, vulgar, vulgar.

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Sources say the alleged encounters happened while Andrew slept upstairs.

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At the time, the couple were said to be living

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largely separate lives, despite continuing to share a bedroom. Andrew

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was reportedly unaware his wife's lover was staying in the house.

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Brian was also acting as Ferguson's business advisor, helping her

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develop her children's book project, Budgie the Helicopter. In another account,

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a former servant quoted in entitled The Rise and Fall

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of the House of York, described Ferguson's reaction when she

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was confronted by Queen Elizabeth Second about her love life.

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The source said, she acted in the strangest world. You

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would have thought she was the person wronged, as if

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she had every right to go on holiday with another man,

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kiss and cuddle him, and the only person who behaved

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wrongly worthy photographer and the editors of the newspaper who

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had published the pictures. One source said, to people around

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the household, it felt like a royal version of Monica

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Lewinsky and Bill Clinton, with Sarah having a flings in

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a study, just as Monica and Bill did in a

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private study of the office. Another added the comparison resonated

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because the acts were said to have occurred under the

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nose of an unsuspecting spouse in a room that should

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have been off limits. Andrew Lowney claims that growing number

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of former employees and associates are prepared to go on

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the record with fresh, deeply damaging allegations. Lowney says that

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since Windsor's fall from public life and the stripping of

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his military titles, I'm hearing from protection officers, diplomats, people

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in the Navy. I'm getting two or three people a day.

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He added, the flow of new information has been so

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overwhelming he is no longer considering a simple update to

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his book. I also have planned to do a sequel

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called Untitled. I've just got so much new material from

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people coming forward, A lot of people who were off

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the record for going on the record for the paperback

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has suddenly opened the floodgates. I was giving a talk

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at the Bridport Festival and two people in the audience

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piped up. One was a nanny of Andrews in the

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nineteen sixties and another was an ambassador from Kazakhstan. Really

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good people are coming forward and adding to the stories.

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There is a sense that the moment has arrived for honesty,

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and many do not want to be remembered as having

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stayed silent. Another senior royal source added the royals are

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quaking all over again about the prospect of Andrew doing

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yet another takedown of Andrew, claiming there are now so

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many whistleblowers there was enough material to fill one thousand volumes.

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As one source put it, his scandals really aren't going

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to go away. Lowning has also warned that withdrawing from

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public view will not end the controversy. He predicted, I

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think the charges will be brought against him and he

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will flee to the Middle East or somewhere, probably like

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King Juan Carlos. Lowney added that earlier claims his work

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relied on fabrication are now being challenged by senior figures

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willing to be named their senior people, heads of the

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Foreign Office. People like that. He said. Once people see

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the weight of evidence from reputable sources, I think they

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will change the story. Lowney has confirmed his next project

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will focus on the late Prince of Philip. Sources say

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the announcement has caused quite alarm amongst senior figures already

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reeling from the fall out of his previous work. Lowney

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says he has already begun assembling what he describes as

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a what's and all accounts of Philip's life. Speaking about

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his early progress, Lowney said, I've put in all the

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freedom of information requests for a Prince Philip book already.

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I'm working very hard to get what it can. He

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revealed one of his first discoveries was a long classified

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school report belonging to Philip, adding why they kept it

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classified for one hundred years, I don't know, but I've

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got it. It shows his recommendations for the Royal Navy,

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and it's now at least declassified and available. People might

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be ready to hear some of these stories about his

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prime life. People expect more transparency from the monarchy Now

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that expectation according to sources close to the Royal household,

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is precisely what is causing concern. One inside has said

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the Palace is fully aware of what Lowney has already

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uncovered once and there's real anxiety about what comes next

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more Palace. In just a moment, Kensington Palace released a

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new video featuring the Princess of Wales as she marked

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her forty fourth birthday, with Catherine reflecting publicly on her

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health and recovery following her recent cancer treatment. The two

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minute film, titled Winter, is the final installment in her

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Mother Nature series and was deliberately released to coincide with

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her birthday. In the video, the Princess of Wales speaks

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candidly about healing, stillness and emotional recovery, drawing on her

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connection with the natural world following her cancer diagnosis at

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the start of twenty twenty four and six months of chemotherapy.

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Providing the voiceover herself, Catherine says, even in the coldest,

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darkest season, Winter has a way of bringing us stillness,

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patience and quiet consideration. She goes on to reflect on fear,

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gratitude and emotional release, saying I find myself reflecting on

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how deeply grateful. I am for the rivers within us.

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Flow with ease, fears washed away, cleanse and purify, come

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to peace with our tears, and discover what it means

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to be alive. The Princess also describes nature as a

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guide through recovery, adding to be at one with nature,

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a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides in memory,

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helping us to heal Visually. The film shows Catherine walking

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early in the morning near her home in Berkshire, alongside

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scenes filmed in Cumbria, Gloucestershire, London, East Sussex and the Cotswolds.

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The imagery is intended to reinforce the themes of reflection,

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into connectedness and renewal. An Aid described the release of

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the combination of a deeply personal creative project, highlighting humanity's

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long relationship with nature and its ability to support healing

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and growth of mind, body and spirit. In a personal

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capture accompanying the video, Catherine wrote, The Mother Nature Sees

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has been a deeply personal, creative reflection on how nature

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has helped me heal, but it's also a story about

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the power of nature and creativity and collective healing. There

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is so much we can learn from Mother Nature as

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we look to build a happier, healthier world. The Mother

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Nature series launched last year during Mental Health Awareness Week

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and has explored the seasons as metaphors for emotional well being.

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While this marks the conclusion of the Project Palace, sources

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indicate the Princess of Wales is expected to continue placing nature, creativity,

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and human connection at the center of her public work

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going forward. Queen Camilla has set her charity's mission to

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encourage reading is more urgent than ever as she marked

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the fifth anniversary of the Queen's Reading Room. The Queen

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who founded the book club during Lockdown said falling reading

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rates worldwide have underlined the importance of the work. She said,

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at a time when global reading rates are at their

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very lowest, my charity's mission feels more urgent than ever.

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Books do make life better and this is only the beginning.

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Five years ago, I found a book club in Lockdown

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and the hope that others might derive as much enjoyment

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from good literature as I do. Since those humble beginnings,

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that book club has grown into a global charity, supporting

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a community of book lovers united by a shared belief

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in the power of reading. I am so proud of

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what my charity has achieved, reaching millions of people, staging

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remarkable events, and partnering with incredible organizations to bring books

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to people who need them most. Its groundbreaking research has

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confirmed that many of us always felt reading truly changes

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how we perceive, how we think, and how we connect

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to markets. Anniversary, the Queen's Reading Room has adopted the

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theme make Room for Reading, encouraging people to fit in

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just five minutes of reading a day. The charity says,

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neuroscience research shows that even five minutes of reading fiction

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can reduce stress by almost twenty percent, improve concentration and

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focus by up to eleven percent, and reduce feelings of loneliness.

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And there you have it. If you'd like to email

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us or addresses the palasintrigat email dot com, Please follow

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us on Spotify, Apple or the apple of your choice,

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and you can find us on Facebook and Instagram and

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all the social media hubs as well. Come say hi,

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I'm Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is

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Palacintry and good turn

Fergie’s Study Sex Scandal, Andrew’s Flood of Accusers, and the Palace Braces for a Prince Philip book

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