Dec. 4, 2025

Inside The Royal Family’s Christmas At Windsor As The German State Visit Rolls On

Show Notes
Transcript

From a twenty-foot Nordmann fir glittering in St George’s Hall to recycled tinsel, charity stockings made from old Sandringham curtains and a special Radio 4 appearance by the King from Dumfries House, we take you inside the Royal Household’s Christmas season. We revisit the royal family’s Sandringham traditions, from Christmas Eve gifts and church at St Mary Magdalene to black-tie dinners and cards signed months in advance, and look at how King Charles the Third is blending sustainability with nostalgia. Then we track a busy second day of the German state visit, from quiet reflection at the Tomb of Queen Elizabeth the Second to Guildhall banquets, school visits and speeches at Westminster – a reminder of how royal Christmas pageantry and quiet diplomacy now sit side by side.

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Calarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I'm

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your host, Mark Francis. The Royal Household has unveiled this

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year's Christmas decorations, with Windsor Castle once taking center stage again.

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Catherine Jones of the Royal Collection Trust says the state apartments,

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with their soaring ceilings and gilded finishes, were designed as

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magnificent backdrops for ceremony and entertaining, making them ideal for

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the annual transformation. In Saint George's Hall, the traditional twenty

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foot Nordman fur sourced from Windsor Great Park now stands

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in place, dressed with around three thousand lights and oversized ornaments.

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As Jones explains, some of the foil decorations we use

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on Saint George's whole trier fifty centimeters or more in diameter.

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It's about a foot and a half and many of

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the baubles are larger than footballs. A balcony and even

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a small cherry are needed to reach the topmost branches.

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Sustainability remains a priority under King Charles, with decorations re

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used and rotated between residences. The decorations are recycled and

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reused as much as possible, Jones notes, adding that even

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tinsel is now sourced in recycled and recyclable form. She

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also explains that early royal decorations weren't preserved, as many

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were either replaced when worn or edible in the nineteenth century.

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Windsor's festive atmosphere owes much to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert,

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who helped popularize the Christmas tree in Britain. Royal commentator

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Katie Nichols says it really comes into its own and

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it's just magical for the public Christmas time. Visitors can

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also see garlands along the grand staircase, wreaths throughout the grounds,

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and the miniature decorations added last year to Queen Mary's

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celebrated Doll's House, including a tiny Christmas tree topped with

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a partridge. Beyond Windsor, the Palace of Hollywood House in

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Edinburgh has again been richly decorated the towering firs in

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the Throne Room and great while Sandringham's private celebration focuses

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on more traditional family ornaments. At Clarence House, Queen Camilla

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continues her custom of inviting children from charities to help

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decorate the tree, assisted last year by her equerry, Major

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oli Plunkett, who used his military sword to place their

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chosen ornaments. The tree featured in last year's Christmas broadcast,

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recorded at London's Fitzerovia Chapel, was adorned with sustainable decorations

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before being donated to Royal Trinity Hospice. A new addition

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for twenty twenty five is a seasonal shop at the

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Royal Meuse at Buckingham Palace, offering festive treats, decorations and gifts,

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including botanical gins sourced from Royal estates and crystal pieces

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inspired by Queen Victoria's tableware. The Royal family's Christmas routine

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is built on long standing custom, with many traditions continuing

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unchanged following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Each December, the

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Windsor's gather at Sandringham for several days of private and

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public festivities, ranging from black tie dinners to spirited games

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of charades. One of the earliest events of the season

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is a Christmas luncheon for the Wider family. For many

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years it was hosted by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace,

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though King Charles and Queen Camilla have recently shifted the

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gathering to Windsor Castle. Royals also spend the season supporting charities,

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with senior figures hosting parties and in the Princess of

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Wales's case, a carol service. Holiday cards remain a fixture too,

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Queen Elizabeth was known for sending several hundred each year,

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often beginning the signing during her summer stay at Balmoral.

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The family's holiday base is the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

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William and Harry once played at Christmas Eve football match

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with staff there Team William and Aston Villa colas Team

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Harry and Arsenal Gear, though Prince Harry now there was

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in the United States with his family and is not

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expected to attend. The Royals also maintain a long standing

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commitment to giving back, with annual donations to local charities

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and Christmas trees provided to major churches in London and

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Edinburgh in years part as the official website notes, churches

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and schools in the Sandringham area would also receive a

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tree from Her Majesty. Christmas Eve brings a formal dinner,

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previously accompanied by Queen Elizabeth's preferred cocktail, the Zaza. Prince

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Harry recalls in Spare that mills were held at a

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long table covered with white cloth and white name cards.

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The same evening features the family's gift exchange, a nod

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to their German heritage. As Harry wrote, we were at

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Sandringham in the big room with a long table covered

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with white cloth and white name cards. Suddenly everyone began

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opening at the same time, free for All royal residences

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are decorated extensively. Buckingham Palace traditionally displays three fir trees

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in the Marble Hall, while Sandringham features both a large

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Christmas tree and a silver artificial one, historically decorated with

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the help of the youngest family members. Even corgy ornaments

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have been known to make an appearance. Christmas morning sees

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the family attend church together at Saint Mary Magdalene on

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the Sandringham estate, followed by lunch and the customary game

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of charades. The day ends with the annual broadcast, a

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tradition begun in nineteen fifty two. Since nineteen fifty seven

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it has been televised, and the family typically watches the

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King's Address together. A set of old curtains from one

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of the royal Residences has been given a new lease

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of life as a festive Christmas stocking for a charity fundraiser.

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Members of a sewing group at Dumfries's House in Ayrshire

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have turned the former Sandringham House drapes into twenty five

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handmade stockings in time for the holiday season. The sewing

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Bee meets weekly at the historic estate, which is closely

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linked to the royal family and now operated by the

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King's Foundation. In recent months, their sessions have been devoted

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to cutting, stitching and embellansing the curtain fabric as part

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of the charity project. Twenty four of the individually numbered

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stockings are now being auctioned to support the King's Foundation work,

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while the final stocking will be presented to the King

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as a personal Christmas gift. Each stocking required more than

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six hours of work using techniques including hand embroidery, piping

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and careful scene matching. The initiative reflects the Foundation's mission

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to teach and preserve traditional craftsmanship and heritage skills. Christine

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Wilson and Andrea Middlemiss joined the Sewing Bee without any

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prior experience. Wilson, a retired finance officer, has been part

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of the group since it launched in twenty sixteen. Middle

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Miss said it's an honor to be doing it because

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of the curtains, because of where they've come from and

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the story behind it, and the thought that they've been

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hanging up in this palace for goodness knows how long.

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The King's Foundation twenty twenty five Christmas charity auction runs

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until five pm on Friday, December twelfth. The BBC has

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confirmed that the King will make a special appearance on

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Radio four and the days before Christmas. On December twenty third,

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the network will broadcast a bespoke edition of This Natural

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Life from Dumfries's House in Ayrshire, featuring the Monarch as

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a guest contributor. The broadcast will also include conversations with students,

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young people and staff involved in the outdoor education programs

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based on the estate. While walking through the arboretum, the

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King reflects on the origins of his love for the

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natural world and touches on subjects ranging from rural skills

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and marine conservation to the art of topiary and the

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satisfaction of using a pair of secateurs. Following the recording,

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Martha Kearny said it was great to see the King

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so relaxed in a place which means so much to

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him and where he puts his philosophy of nature into practice.

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More palace in just a moment. Hey, you know you

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your support. Get yourself a Christmas present. It is a

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busy day for the German State visit, with President Frank

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Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elkie bunden Bender undertaking a

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series of significant engagements across Windsor, London and Coventry. The

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day begins a Windsor Castle, where the President and First

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Lady will make a private visit to Saint George's Chapel

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to lay flowers at the tomb of Queen Elizabeth. It's

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a quiet moment of remembrance marking the late queens enduring

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importance to both nations. The couple will then rejoin the

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King and Queen at Windsor for a reception highlighting the

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work of volunteers across the UK. The event is held

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in partnership with the Big Help Out and showcases the

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positive impact community service continues to have in talents and

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cities nationwide. Following the reception, their majesties will accompany the

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President and First Lady to view the State Sleigh, the

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ornate winter carriage created by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria.

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The sleigh, first recorded in the Queen's Diary and forty five,

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is a reminder of the royal family's long German connections,

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including Christmas traditions introduced by both Queen Charlotte and Prince Albert.

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With those joint engagements completed, the King and Queen will

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take their leave while the President and First Lady continue

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their program in London. They will visit Westminster Abbey to

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lay a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Warrior

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before the President delivers remarks to assembled Parliamentarians at the

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Palace of Westminster. The President will also meet members of

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the German community in the UK at the German Embassy,

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while Miss bunden Bender, a former judge, will join the

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Lady Chief Justice at Royal Courts of Justice for a

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discussion on women in law. Later, the couple will undertake

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engagements at Bobby Moore Academy and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park,

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followed by a visit to the VNA Storehouse. And this evening,

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the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Lawrence will

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represent the Royal family at a formal banquet at guild

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Hall hosted by the Lady Mayor in the City of

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London Corporation. The President and First Lady will attend is

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the honored guests, bringing the second day of the state

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visit to a close. And there you have it. You'd

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like to email us or address is the Palace Intrigue

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at gmail dot com. And by the way, Friday, Saturday

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and Sunday on our later Palace Intrigue episodes, we're counting

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down the top twenty five Royal stories of twenty twenty five.

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You don't want to miss that one. I'm Mark Francis

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my thanks to John McDermott. This is palace intrigue and

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good terms

Inside The Royal Family’s Christmas At Windsor As The German State Visit Rolls On

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