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Calarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace intrig gam
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your host, Mark Francis. Prince William is reportedly struggling with
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realities of heightened security surrounding his family's new home, Forest Lodge,
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in a private section of Windsor Great Park. According to
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Closer magazine, the Prince of Wales has found it difficult
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to adjust to the extent to which security now dominates
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daily family life. William and Kate tightened restrictions after a
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series of alarming incidents raised fresh concerns about safety. In
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the weeks before Christmas. A man managed to access the
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grounds of Kensington Palace on two separate occasions Earlier in
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October twenty twenty four to mass intruders forced their way
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through a gate and climbed a six foot fence at
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Windsor Castle, while William, Kate and their children were sleeping
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nearby at Adelaide Cottage. These incidents, along with others, prompted
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stricter security measures, including checkpoints and restricted access, which have
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reportedly caused frustration among local residents, who say the areas
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they once used freely are now closed off. These incidents,
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along with others, prompted stricter security measures, including checkpoints and
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restricted access, which have reportedly caused frustration among local residents
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who say the area they once used freely are now
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closed off. One source said the impact on William and
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Kate has been significant. They both despise the checkpoints, the
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constant planning, and the feeling of being trapped. It makes
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them angry and sad in equal measure, the insider said.
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The source added that spontaneity has all but disappeared from
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their lives. Nothing as spontaneous anymore. Even family time comes
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with risk assessments, is exhausting as part of the royal
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life they hate the most. They didn't want to do it.
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William hates shutting people out and Kate hates the sense
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of isolation. But when it comes to the children, there's
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no hesitation. Their safety first. Kate will make her first
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solo appearance of twenty twenty six today when she hosts
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England's women's rugby team at Winsor Castle. Kat has said
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to hold a reception celebrating the squad's victory at the
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twenty twenty five Rugby World Cup, which was one last September.
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As patron of the Rugby Football Union, she will welcome
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the players and coaching staff to the historic Royal Residence,
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where they will be given a tour before presenting her
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with the World Cup trophy. The visit will conclude with
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an official group photograph. The engagement also gives the Princess
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a moment of friendly bragging rights at home. Kate took
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on the rugby patronage in twenty twenty two, following the
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redistribution of Prince Harry's former roles. In Her support of
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England contrasts directly with Prince William's backing of the Welsh
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rugby union. The rivalry has played out publicly before, including
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during last year's World Cup when the couple attended different
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matches on the same day, Kate cheering on England while
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Williams supported Wales. This time, the scoreboard favors the Princess.
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England currently sit top of the world rankings as reigning champions,
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while Wales exited the tournament at the pool stage and
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are now ranked twelfth globally. Kate reportedly marked her forty
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fourth birthday with a low key lunch and a small
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Berkshire a bistro, with staff later praising her charm and
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grace Kate, who grew up in the area, is said
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to have dined with her mother Carol and sister Pepper
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at a French cafe in Hungerford. The restaurant, the Fungi
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Club Letters shared its excitement on social media, writing no
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photos to share, you'll understand why, but the entire team
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on duty reported the same thing. She was utterly charming,
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gracious and every bit as radiant in person as you'd imagine.
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The jungle drums of Hungerford didn't stop beating until well
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into Saturday. A little moment of magic for our small
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b stroke and one we won't forget in a hurry.
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The Fungi Club is known locally for its relaxed approach
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to dining and relatively affordable menu, with dishes generally priced
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under twenty five pounds. The Hungerford branch offers items such
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as onion soup, pork treene and beef bourgignon, and the
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restaurant holds strong reviews online, with customers praising both the
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food and the service more palace in just a moment.
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This April marks the fifteenth wedding anniversary of Prince William
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and Kate Middleton, who married at Westminster Abbey on April
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twenty nine, twenty eleven. Around two billion people watched as
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Catherine walked down the aisle in her Alexander McQueen gown,
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but attention was also drawn to the abbey itself, which
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had been transformed into a parkland setting filled with trees
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and foliage. The florist behind that striking display, Shane Connolly,
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has now been awarded an MBE for services to sustainable florestree.
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He received the honor from Princess Anne at an investiture
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ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. Connolly's worked for William
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and caf One's wedding included bringing six field maples and
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two horn beam trees into Westminster Abbey, a reflection of
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the couple's love of the English countryside. The trees were
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wheeled into the abbey at a reported cost of fifty
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thousand pounds. More recently, Connolly worked with King Charles and
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Queen Camilla on the coronation in twenty twenty three. The
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flowers included lilies of the Valley and auriculas as a
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nod to their wedding, as well as hellebores, which Charles
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had worn in his Buttonhole. In two thousand and five
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for the High Altar, Connolly arranged boughs cut from shrubs
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and trees from five Royal Horticultural Society gardens. In a
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particularly personal gesture, branches were sourced from two Darwick beech
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trees planted by Queen Elizabeth I and Prince Philip at Wisley.
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In nineteen seventy eight, The Telegraph took a look at
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New Wales's higher Eliza Ravenscroft, a veteran of crisis communications
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with more than two decades of experience who has stepped
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into the spotlight after being recruited to join Prince William's
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communications team. Having spent much of her career behind the scenes,
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handling high pressure situations for major global organizations, Ravenscroft now
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finds herself part of the story. A former colleague who
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worked closely with Ravenscroft at Edelman described her as bulletproof sunshine,
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adding she's an optimistic person, always looking on the bright side,
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and she is extremely modest. She is humble in an
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industry which is not known for its humility. On her
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LinkedIn profile, Ravenscroft described herself as working arm in arm
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with big names facing their toughest times, a background seen
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as well suited to the delicate task of managing the
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public image of the Prince of Wales. However, insiders suggest
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her role will be less about crisis firefighting and more
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about long term strategy as William continues his efforts to
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modernize the monarchy. A Kensington Palace source confirmed this week
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that Ravenscroft will be working on the day to day
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press into Kensington Palace has rather than being brought in
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specifically for crisis management. One former colleague said, having watched
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her work, she takes the viewpoint of considering what the
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journalists want, not to stop them getting it, but to
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reach a compromise. She will be mindful of the fact
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that when working for the royal family there will be
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red lines, but she knows not to treat the media
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as the enemy, which is probably vital in the Royal
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pack more than anywhere else. Another former colleague described her
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as the still center of the storm, saying she's very personable,
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low ego and she just gets things done. I think
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she's one of the most impressive pr professionals I've ever
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worked with. Genuinely top notch unflappable, very focused. The finishing
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touches are being added to the centerpiece of a three
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million pounds revamp of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground.
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The playground, located beside her former home in Kensington Palace,
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is currently closed while undergoing a major transfer. It is
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due to reopen this summer, featuring a new full scale
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wooden ship designed as the heart of the play space.
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The galleon has been built in the foothills of the
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Bavarian Alps, with starf from Royal Parks inspecting the structure
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in Germany ahead of its journey to London and installation
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in Kensington Gardens. Royal Parks said the existing equipment had
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reached the end of its life span, prompting the three
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million pounds investment. The revamped playground will include a twelve
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meter tall ship complete with a tunnel slide, two crows
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nests and a ramped entrance to the main deck to
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ensure disabled access. The wider redesign also features a new treehouse,
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a reimagined water play area and a dedicated space for
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children under three. The ship had been constructed partly from
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mountain larch wood sourced from sustainably managed forests in the
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Bavarian Alps. It has said the harsh alpine conditions slow
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the tree's growth, producing timber that is stronger and naturally
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resistant to rot, removing the need for chemical treatment. Andy Williams,
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park manager for Kensington Garden, said it really reaches to
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children's imaginations. It lets them set free in a safe space.
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He added that the new playground was in the spirit
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of Princess Diana. We've kept faithful to that. The Diana
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Memorial Playground first opened in June two thousand and three
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years after the Princess's death, on the site of an
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earlier playground opened in nineteen oh six by Peter panorthor JM. Barry.
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No members of the royal family attended the original opening.
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According to Royal Parks, the playground attracts around one million
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visitors each year, making it the most visited playground in
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the UK. And there you have it. If you like
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to email us our addresses the Palace Entry at Gmail
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and Doug cam please follow us on Spotify, Apple or
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the app of your choice and leaves a nice review
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for enjoying the show. I'm Mark Francis. My thanks to
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John McDermott. This is pallace, intrigue. Good terms,