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Calarogu Shark Media. He hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.
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I am your host, Mark Francis. In The Independent Tesla
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Dunlop tells us about Kate the Huntress. Dunlop writes, how
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does she do it against the odds while all around
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her lose their heads? The Princess of Wales consistently manages
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to square the royal circle and showcase the quiet qualities
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of industry intent and englishness with masterful precision. In the
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wake of last year's cancer scare, her Royal Highness doubled
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down on their streamlined Royal brand. These days she is sharper,
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more exquisitely elegant, less demure, and more deliberate. There will
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be no more talk of designer labels. Her family deserves
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better than mid range Adelaide Cottage. Forest Lodge is a
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sizeable upgrade, as for also Ran Royal's Kater's absolutely no
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truck with the Windsor's unseemly stragglers. Weeks before Fergie was
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exposed hillatiously obsequious, money grabbing member of the Epstein entourage,
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untouchable Kate gracefully rebuffed the then Duchess of York's advances
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on the steps of Westminster Cathedral and the Duchess of
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Kent's funeral, the flagrantly entitled Fergie sculpt behind the impregnable Princess,
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She had no chance. The sharp contrast between the two
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women was eye popping. Kate's arch face are fitting repast
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to the already somber day dubbed the protective Huntress by
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one royal watcher. Once more, the Windsor's meticulous player has
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fended off danger her poison ice queen exterior. The alchemy
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that has led to this new alpha epitaph Huntress Kate,
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the untouchable royal charm, silently signaling that enough is enough.
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Yards away, on the same step, William mirrored his wife's
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behavior in the face of Andrew's buffoonery. Dunlop reminds us
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that back in twenty thirteen, Hillary man Tell described Kate
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as a jointed dole on which certain rags are a
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shop window maniquin, with no personality of her own. Mantel
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wrote that Kate appeared to have been designed by committee
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and built by craftsmen. Dunlop writes it write down to
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her beautifully manicured fingertips. There is nothing accidental about Kate
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see it into the nation's story. In William's childhood narrative
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was the demise of his late great mother Diana, the
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most hunted person of the modern age. It can't be
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a coincidence that the Prince's wife has subsequently been dubbed
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Diana's polar opposite, a huntress. As Mantell observed, she appears
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precision made so different from Diana, whose human awkwardness and
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emotional incontinence showed in her every gesture. Kate may be
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juggling a demanding royal diary, but it appears she's found
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a new way to unwind through meditation. According to the
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Male on Sunday, Kate has been learning the practice from
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none other than British contemporary artist Chris Levigne, famed for
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his ethereal portrait of Queen Elizabeth II titled Likeness of Being.
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Levine's two thousand and four image of the late Queen,
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eyes closed in a moment of stillness between shots, has
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become one of the most iconic royal portraits of the
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modern era. This shot was actually an outtake. Levin told
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Hello a couple of years later, I was looking through
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the work and thought, well, that's pretty powerful. It's the
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most evocative image of a royal by any artist, and
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it's become a historic work. It's that very image which
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is said to have inspired Catherine to explore meditation herself.
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Meditation joins a list of hobbies the Princess of Wales
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has long pursued for personal well being. She remains an
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avid tennis player and passionate supporter of the sport through
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her role as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis
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and Croquet Club. In twenty twenty three, she shared on
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Mike Tindall's The Good, The Bad and the Rugby podcast
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that her matches with Prince William often come with a
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competitive edge, where the couple tried to outmntle each other
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on the court. Prince William offered a glimpse of royal
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humor and a touch of nostalgia while showing actor Eugene
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Levy around wid Castle. As the pair explored the historic halls,
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The Prince of Wales shared one of his favorite anecdotes
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about a particularly confused tourist. The tour GUIDs get to
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hear some funny stories, he said, we heard back one
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time that I won't name the nationality of the tourists.
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They were looking around the castle, going Wow, this place
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is incredible, but why do they have to build the
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castle so close to Heathrow Airport. William laughed, adding I
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know my history is bad, but that's another level for context.
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Windsor Castle was originally built by William the Conqueror in
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the eleventh century, some nine centuries before he throw opened
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as a small airfield in nineteen thirty, while guiding Levy
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through Saint George's Hall, William wilse We reflected on childhood
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memories at Windsor. My cousins and I and the family
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would chase each other up and down here and do
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silly games. He recalled, I remember these carpets weren't here,
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and there were a couple of spots where he used
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to have to watch out because you'd get a massive splinter.
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It was really dark, wooden oak floor. The prince revealed
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that he's kept the family tradition alive with his own children,
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saying we come in after hours and check each other
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around sometimes. Fortunately, he added with a grin, it's a
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lot easier now. My children don't realize how lucky they
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are more palace in just a moment. During her brief
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time as a working royal, Megan Markle's style underwent a
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dramatic transformation from Hollywood glamour to polished palace sophistication. But
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a long standing fashion mystery still follows her. Did that
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infamous label mishap in Tonga suggest she was borrowing designer
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outfits to meet royal fashion expectations. The incident dates back
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to October twenty eighteen, when the newly married Duke and
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Duchess of Sussex landed in Tonga during their first overseas tour.
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Meghan stepped off the plane in a three hundred and
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eighty pounds self portrait dress and with its tag still
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visibly fluttering in the breeze. While many chalked it up
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to a simple oversight, others speculated it pointed to a
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deeper reality that many of Megan's outfits during her royal
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tenure were on loan from luxury designers. Accepting free clothing
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as strictly under royal protocol, but borrowing pieces temporarily from
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fashion houses is permitted. Celebrity stylist Martin Alexander told The
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Demi Mail that such an arrangement would have been entirely
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plausible if Meghan was working with a stylist. If Meghan
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was working with a stylist, they may well have contacted
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pr companies or brands directly to ask if they can
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borrow pieces. The practice is common in the fashion world,
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where stars wear loaned pieces before returning them, but it
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becomes more complicated for a royal, especially one newly navigating
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palace etiquette. Fashion expert Jane Tippett described the Tonga tag
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moment as a sloppy mistake in a sign that she
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was a new working royal who didn't yet have her
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ducks in a row. Further evidence, some stylists say, lies
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in Meghan's rarely repeated outfits. While Princess Catherine is known
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for re wearing favorite ensembles, Meghan has been seen in
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many items only once, suggesting they may not have been
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hers to keep. Celebrity stylist Rachelle White also noted that
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Meghan's long, wide leg trousers, such as the beige Saint
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Agne pear she wore in the Hamptons earlier this year,
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could indicate unautered loaned pieces designed for taller models. The
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duchess could be working with a designer or stylist where
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it's not possible to have alterations done, either because the
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pieces have to be returned or because they belong to
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the brand, she explained. Experts agree the approach would have
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been both practical and economical. Tippet added, a smart way
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to handle wardrobe expectations, it allows Meghan to look the
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part without having to purchase every piece. Since stepping back
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from royal life, Megan's fashion freedom has expanded, though not
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without criticism. Her post palace wardrobe, including luxury pieces from Dior,
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Caroline Herrera and Ola Johnson, has been valued in the
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tens of thousands, reigniting debate over her image. Public relations
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expert Ryan McCormick told Daily Mail, Wearing that kind of
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expensive jewelry communicates I am in the upper class. It's
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a conflicting message that makes it difficult for some people
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to connect with her. Still, others argue that borrowing designer
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fashion remains one of Megan's most strategic moves, a blend
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of practicality, sustainability and style. Marketing expert Estelle Keeper put
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it succinctly, designers gained exposure and Megan maintains her polished
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image while championing the idea of rewearing or borrowing instead
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of buying. It's a when when, during her recent trip
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to Washington, d C. For the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit,
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the Duchess was spotted with a sleek Long Champ travel
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bag that quickly caught the attention of fans online. In
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footage shared on Instagram, The Eagle Einne, followers noticed the
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bag was monogrammed with DS, a subtle nod to her
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royal title, the Duchess of Sussex. The design comes from
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Long Champ's My Pillage signature range, known for its customizable options.
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Shoppers can choose from fourteen canvas colours, a variety of
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prints and motives, and finishes in either silver or gold hardware.
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Megan's version featured a minimalist natural palace and personalized embossing,
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offering both sophistication and practicality. Crafted from one hundred percent
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recycled polyester with Russian leather trim, the bag balances sustainability
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with style. Its generous size makes it ideal for travel,
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easily accommodating essential for a short getaway. A removable adjustable
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strap allows it to be worn cross body or carried
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by hand, while a zip and snap closure keep everything secure.
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Our bag, says PI on it. There you have it.
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I like to email us addresses the Palace Injury get
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gmail a dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple
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or the app of your choice. Leaves a nice review
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if you're enjoying the show and my Francis my thanks
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to John McDermott, This is Palace Intrigue and Good Dams