April 15, 2026
Is Fergie, More Andrew Trouble, and William’s Prison Profit Problem
Stepping away from the Sussexes, this episode looks at a fresh round of royal side stories, starting with new speculation over Sarah Ferguson’s whereabouts and claims she may be on a private healing retreat. We also examine reports of King Charles taking a harder line on Prince Andrew, warnings that Andrew still poses reputational risks to the monarchy, and renewed scrutiny over Prince William’s Duchy income from HMP Dartmoor. After the break, Royal Mail prepares a special tribute for Queen Elizabeth’s one hundredth birthday, and we revisit Meghan’s old comments about Rory McIlroy.
Get episodes of Palace Intrigue by becommming a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts. Click the button that says uninterrupted listening. Just $5 a month, and that includes many ofther shows on the Caloroga Shark network.
A new season of King William is available now.
Our royal newsletter written by Deep Crown is available for free.
Royal Books:
Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors by Tom Bower
William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story
The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana
WEBVTT
1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:13.439
Calorougus Shark Media. Hello, welcome to Palace Intrigue. I am
2
00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:16.160
your host, Mark Francis. Taking a break from the Sussex
3
00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:18.359
is Let's see what else is happening with the royals.
4
00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:22.079
There are fresh questions surrounding Sarah Ferguson, with reports suggesting
5
00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:25.000
even senior members of the royal family are unclear about
6
00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:28.559
her current whereabouts. According to claims attributed to a source
7
00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:31.559
speaking to Rob Shooter, no one knows exactly where she is,
8
00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:34.359
and that includes the very top. The situation is being
9
00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:39.280
described as unusual, particularly given Ferguson's typically high profile presence.
10
00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:42.640
The same source added it's unusual that even people close
11
00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:45.240
to her don't know where she is. That's what's fueling
12
00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:48.920
the speculation. There is also uncertainty about how much her daughters,
13
00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:51.600
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are aware, with a suggestion
14
00:00:51.719 --> 00:00:54.799
that there's real uncertainty about how much Princess Beatrice and
15
00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:58.000
Princess Eugenie No, they may not have the full picture either.
16
00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:01.320
Despite the current miss read, the same source indicated this
17
00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:04.200
may not be a long term disappearance, saying she's not
18
00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:06.599
someone who disappears for good. She always comes back. She
19
00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:09.719
loves London, she loves society, and she loves attention. That
20
00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:12.760
hasn't changed jewelry surface, and when she does, it will
21
00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:15.239
be on her terms. You can't keep Fergie out of
22
00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:18.519
the spotlight. It's only a matter of time. One report
23
00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:21.400
suggests Sarah has been staying with a trusted holistic healer
24
00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:24.000
in what has been described as a personal effort to
25
00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:28.560
realign her chakras following a period of mounting pressure and inside.
26
00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:31.840
It tells Rada online, seeking out a holistic healer is
27
00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:34.799
for Sarah a very intentional and personal step towards restoring
28
00:01:34.840 --> 00:01:38.120
some sense of instability. She genuinely and frankly a bit
29
00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:42.120
desperately believes that approaches like chakra work, meditation and spiritual
30
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:44.640
healing can help her make sense of the emotional strange
31
00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:47.159
she has been under and begins to process it in
32
00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:50.200
a more grounded way. Another source explained that these retreats
33
00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:53.599
are about creating distance from public scrutiny, saying they allow
34
00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:56.040
her to quiet the noise and regain a sense of
35
00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:59.400
control during a challenging period. King Charles has said to
36
00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:02.280
be taking an reacingly hard line towards his brother Andrew,
37
00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:05.680
with new claims suggesting their relationship may be beyond repair.
38
00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:08.759
According to a report in Radar Online, the King has
39
00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:11.280
no intention of following the example set by other members
40
00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:14.400
of the royal family, including Prince Edwin and Princess Anne,
41
00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:16.840
who are said to have maintained some level of contact
42
00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:20.680
with Andrew following his recent troubles. One source claimed the
43
00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:22.919
hard reality is that the King may never speak to
44
00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:25.520
Andrew again, adding that it would take an enormous shift
45
00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:27.800
for the two even to be in the same room.
46
00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:30.360
The reported rift is said to be rooted not only
47
00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:33.360
in recent events, but in a long standing strained relationship
48
00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:36.919
between the brothers. Insiders suggest tensions pre date the Epstein
49
00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:41.439
scandal and have only intensified in its aftermath. There is
50
00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:44.120
also a constitutional to mention to the King's position. It
51
00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:46.520
has claimed that any communication between Charles and Andrew could
52
00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:50.280
carry legal risks, particularly if Andrew were to face further charges.
53
00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:54.199
One source explained that such conversations could potentially be drawn
54
00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:57.280
into legal proceedings, raising concerns about the King being called
55
00:02:57.599 --> 00:02:59.719
to give evidence in a case brought in his own.
56
00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:03.960
Andrew may still pose a risk to the royal family's
57
00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:07.039
reputation despite his removal from public life, according to royal
58
00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:11.159
author Nigel Cawthorne. Cawthorne told The Daily Express, as to
59
00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:13.400
the rest of the royal family tiptoeing around him, he
60
00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:16.120
knows where the bodies are buried. One thing that intrigues
61
00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:18.199
us all is where the twelve million dollars he used
62
00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:20.719
to pay off Virginia Geoffrey came from. If he spoke
63
00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.360
up about who stumped up the cash, the spotlight would
64
00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:25.400
turn on them and the question would be asked, what
65
00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:28.840
did they know. Prince Philip has said to have wanted
66
00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:31.719
Andrew removed from royal events due to his association with
67
00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:34.960
Jeffrey Epstein. A source told Reader Online Philip has always
68
00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:37.639
considered Andrew a loose cannon and a threat to the
69
00:03:37.719 --> 00:03:41.159
legacy of the crown. Andrew's problem is that he's gullible
70
00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:43.280
and easily led, which is how he finds himself in
71
00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:46.800
the wrong company. He's been targeted by unscrupulous businessmen who
72
00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:51.120
know his weakness. Beautiful girls behind closed doors, Philip unleached,
73
00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:55.039
explicitive fielled tirades at Andrew, calling on an idiot, a buffoon,
74
00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:59.080
a disgrace and a stain on the family. Prince William
75
00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:01.759
is reportedly making money offered prison. According to a report
76
00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:04.439
in The Sunday Times, William has faced scrutiny over income
77
00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:07.879
generated from a prison site on Duchy of Cornwall land,
78
00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:11.680
even after the facility was closed due to safety concerns.
79
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.280
The report says that Duchy has been leasing HMP Dartmoor
80
00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:17.560
to of the Ministry of Justice for approximately one point
81
00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:21.759
nine million dollars per year since late twenty twenty three,
82
00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:24.839
generating at least three point one million in total income
83
00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.959
so far. The prison was shut in twenty twenty four
84
00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:31.040
after elevated levels of raid on gas substance linked to
85
00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:35.600
lung cancer were detected in inmate accommodation. Despite the closure,
86
00:04:35.879 --> 00:04:39.560
the lease arrangement has continued, with taxpayers still funding costs
87
00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:43.160
associated with the site. The Duchy of Cornwall declined to
88
00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:46.160
specify how much tax William has paid on that income,
89
00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:49.439
stating only that the lease was negotiated on a standard
90
00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:52.759
commercial basis and that discussions with the government are ongoing
91
00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:56.920
regarding the site's future. The Broader investigation also highlighted that
92
00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:00.360
the Duchy generates substantial income through leasing land and assets.
93
00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:04.800
Two public services, including the military, NHS and schools. William
94
00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:08.519
reportedly received a distributable surplus of around twenty nine million
95
00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:11.439
dollars from the Duchy in the twenty twenty four twenty
96
00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:18.560
five financial year. More Palace in just a moment. The
97
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:20.279
Royal Mail is marking what would have been the one
98
00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:23.240
hundredth birthday of Queen Elizabeth II with a special commemorative
99
00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:27.199
stamp collection celebrating her life and legacy. The set features
100
00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:29.879
twelve images in total, released ahead of the April twenty
101
00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:33.240
first anniversary. Eight of the stamps trace the late monarch's
102
00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:37.120
life decade by decade, beginning with childhood photographs and continuing
103
00:05:37.160 --> 00:05:40.079
through her later years on the throne. The remaining four
104
00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:42.480
stamps are presented as a miniature sheet and reflect her
105
00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:45.839
well known personal passions, focusing on her lifelong love of
106
00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:49.800
horses and dogs. Among the images selected is a photograph
107
00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.439
of Princess Elizabeth at just six years old in nineteen
108
00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:55.319
thirty two, as well as an early family portrait from
109
00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:59.439
nineteen thirty six. Another stamp captures a significant moment during
110
00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.160
the Second War Old War, when the young Princess, aged fourteen,
111
00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:05.319
delivered a radio address to children across the Commonwealth in
112
00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:10.000
October nineteen forty. Later decades are represented through more familiar
113
00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:13.319
public moments, including images of the Queen on horseback during
114
00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:16.800
trooping the Colour in the nineteen seventies, highlighting her during
115
00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:20.519
connection to equestrian life. The collections Who reflects key milestones
116
00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:22.959
of her reign, with one stamp showing the Golden Jubilee
117
00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:25.360
in two thousand and two between the Queen and Prince
118
00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:28.519
Philip riding in the gold State coach. Another image presents
119
00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:31.759
her in full regalia in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.
120
00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:36.240
More recent photographs include appearances alongside King Charles and Queen
121
00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:39.399
Camilla during the G seven summit in Cornwall in twenty
122
00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:41.879
twenty one, as well as one of the final images
123
00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:44.199
of the Queen at Windsor Castle in twenty twenty two.
124
00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:47.720
The collection is now available for pre sale, accompanied by
125
00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:50.759
a range of commemorative products, offering a visual timeline of
126
00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:55.279
a reign that spanned more than seventy years. As Rory
127
00:06:55.319 --> 00:06:58.199
McElroy celebrates his latest triumph at the Masters, we are
128
00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.000
reminded he was at one point loosely linked to Megan Monkel.
129
00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:04.199
In twenty fourteen, the pair appeared together during the Ice
130
00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:07.519
Bucket Challenge of viral campaign raising funds for ALS research,
131
00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:11.639
and their easy rapport prompted speculation at the time. Meghan
132
00:07:11.720 --> 00:07:15.079
later wrote about McElroy on her former lifestyle blog, offering
133
00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:17.879
a notably warm assessment. She said, he is a force
134
00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:20.879
who has the propensity to actually work hard and play hard,
135
00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:25.920
relishing intense practices to substantiate his title, embracing knights of
136
00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:29.000
sipping Opus one and indulging in group dinners at Cypriati
137
00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:32.120
for the balance of course, and yet beyond his work
138
00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:34.759
play ethic, the most endearing quality of this man is
139
00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:38.160
as character, as real and honest as they come, appreciating
140
00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:40.839
a simple smile, never shunning a fan photo, and joying
141
00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:43.519
a plate of pasta with vill Ragou, and expressing a
142
00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:45.360
love for his parents that has rarely seen in men
143
00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:48.040
his age or at any age. To be honest, he
144
00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:51.360
is not just the real deal. He is real. And
145
00:07:51.399 --> 00:07:53.399
there you have it. Pled to email us of addresses
146
00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:55.959
the Palace entry at gmail dot com. Please follow us
147
00:07:55.959 --> 00:07:58.279
a Spotify, Apple or the app that you're currently using,
148
00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:01.240
and mark Francis my Things to John McDermott. The Sair's
149
00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:03.160
Palace intriguing good terms
1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:13.439
2
00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:16.160
3
00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:18.359
4
00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:22.079
5
00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:25.000
6
00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:28.559
7
00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:31.559
8
00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:34.359
9
00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:39.280
10
00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:42.640
11
00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:45.240
12
00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:48.920
13
00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:51.600
14
00:00:51.719 --> 00:00:54.799
15
00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:58.000
16
00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:01.320
17
00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:04.200
18
00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:06.599
19
00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:09.719
20
00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:12.760
21
00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:15.239
22
00:01:15.239 --> 00:01:18.519
23
00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:21.400
24
00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:24.000
25
00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:28.560
26
00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:31.840
27
00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:34.799
28
00:01:34.840 --> 00:01:38.120
29
00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:42.120
30
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:44.640
31
00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:47.159
32
00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:50.200
33
00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:53.599
34
00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:56.040
35
00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:59.400
36
00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:02.280
37
00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:05.680
38
00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:08.759
39
00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:11.280
40
00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:14.400
41
00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:16.840
42
00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:20.680
43
00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:22.919
44
00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:25.520
45
00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:27.800
46
00:02:28.360 --> 00:02:30.360
47
00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:33.360
48
00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:36.919
49
00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:41.439
50
00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:44.120
51
00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:46.520
52
00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:50.280
53
00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:54.199
54
00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:57.280
55
00:02:57.599 --> 00:02:59.719
56
00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:03.960
57
00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:07.039
58
00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:11.159
59
00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:13.400
60
00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:16.120
61
00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:18.199
62
00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:20.719
63
00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.360
64
00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:25.400
65
00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:28.840
66
00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:31.719
67
00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:34.960
68
00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:37.639
69
00:03:37.719 --> 00:03:41.159
70
00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:43.280
71
00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:46.800
72
00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:51.120
73
00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:55.039
74
00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:59.080
75
00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:01.759
76
00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:04.439
77
00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:07.879
78
00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:11.680
79
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.280
80
00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:17.560
81
00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:21.759
82
00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:24.839
83
00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.959
84
00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:31.040
85
00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:35.600
86
00:04:35.879 --> 00:04:39.560
87
00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:43.160
88
00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:46.160
89
00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:49.439
90
00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:52.759
91
00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:56.920
92
00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:00.360
93
00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:04.800
94
00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:08.519
95
00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:11.439
96
00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:18.560
97
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:20.279
98
00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:23.240
99
00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:27.199
100
00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:29.879
101
00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:33.240
102
00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:37.120
103
00:05:37.160 --> 00:05:40.079
104
00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:42.480
105
00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:45.839
106
00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:49.800
107
00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.439
108
00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:55.319
109
00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:59.439
110
00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.160
111
00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:05.319
112
00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:10.000
113
00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:13.319
114
00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:16.800
115
00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:20.519
116
00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:22.959
117
00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:25.360
118
00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:28.519
119
00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:31.759
120
00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:36.240
121
00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:39.399
122
00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:41.879
123
00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:44.199
124
00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:47.720
125
00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:50.759
126
00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:55.279
127
00:06:55.319 --> 00:06:58.199
128
00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:01.000
129
00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:04.199
130
00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:07.519
131
00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:11.639
132
00:07:11.720 --> 00:07:15.079
133
00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:17.879
134
00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:20.879
135
00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:25.920
136
00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:29.000
137
00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:32.120
138
00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:34.759
139
00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:38.160
140
00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:40.839
141
00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:43.519
142
00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:45.360
143
00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:48.040
144
00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:51.360
145
00:07:51.399 --> 00:07:53.399
146
00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:55.959
147
00:07:55.959 --> 00:07:58.279
148
00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:01.240
149
00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:03.160
