April 6, 2026
King Charles Heads to Congress as William, Andrew and the Yorks Complicate Everything
King Charles will address the United States Congress on April 28 during his Washington visit, but the trip is already drawing chatter over Palace wording, diplomatic optics, and whether this is a warm royal visit or a very polished act of duty.
We also look at where Charles and Camilla are likely to stay in Washington, fresh claims that Charles is pushing William to become more diplomatic as he prepares for kingship, and reports that Beatrice and Eugenie may be brought back into view at Royal Ascot — a move that could further inflame tensions with William.
Plus: the father-son divide over Andrew appears to be getting worse, and Charles is said to be losing patience with his brother’s latest housing complaints to the point where even the word “caravan” is now being floated.
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A calorogus shark media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue.
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I am your host, Mark Francis. King Charles will address
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the United States Congress on April twenty eighth during his
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upcoming visit to Washington. According to a statement from House
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Speaker Mike Johnson, the address to Congress is expected to
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be a central moment of the visit, underscoring the ongoing
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relationship between the UK and the US. The visit is
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already drawing political chatter, and now even an Instagram caption
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is being treated like a diplomatic rawshack test. The palace
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announcements of the King and Queen would travel to America
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on advice of His Majesty's government and at the invitation
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of the President of the United States for a state
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visit tied to the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
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American independence, before the King continues on to Bermuda. That
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wording has now become a talking point, with some royal
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watchers regarding it less as a warm embrace of the
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trip and more as a subtle attempt to make clear
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that this is government business, not necessarily personal enthusiasm. One
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commenter wrote on advice of good choice of wording, translated
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to we were told to go, but we'd rather not.
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Another pointed out the timing of the post, writing this
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was posted less than an hour after Trump said the
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US won't be there for the UK any more. One
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of the quieter questions behind the headlines are simply where
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will they actually stay. The answer, at least for now,
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is that it has not been publicly confirmed, but there
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are a couple of obvious possibilities. The option is the
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White House itself. State guests can be accommodated there, with
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the second and third floors of the residence traditionally used
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for visiting dignitaries. One of the guest rooms is even
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known as the Queen's Bedroom and not too previous royal visitors.
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The other likely option is the British Ambassador's residence in Washington,
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better known as the Winfield House. That would in many
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ways be the more natural fit. Is secure, diplomatically convenient,
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and architecturally closer to the sort of formal surroundings the
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king is used to. According to a reporting Radar Online,
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Prince William is said to be receiving guidance behind the
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scenes as King Charles pushes him to become more diplomatic
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and more prepared for the demands of kingship. One inside
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has said William is being encouraged to seek guidance and support,
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effectively being in therapy to help train him for the
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throne and prepare him for the diplomatic demands of kingship.
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The message coming from the top is that he needs
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to become a true diplomat, someone who can rise above
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personal grievances and think strategically about the monarchy's future. Another
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source said Charles now sees the issue as something that
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requires direct intervention. He no longer sees this is something
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that will naturally resolve itself. From his perspective, this is
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about leadership and responsibility, and he has made it clear
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that William must start thinking beyond his own position and
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consider what is best for the institution as a whole
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and work on his diplomatic nature. The same reporter as
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who claims Charles believes his heir still needs more preparation
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before taking on the crown. One source said Charles believes
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he needs to undergo a lot more training for he
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is ready for the throne. He is effectively asking William
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to put the monarchy first, and to learn how to
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set aside emotions as part of that process. A Palace
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aid added, there is clear sense within senior royal circles
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that this is about preparing him for the realities of
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the role William will inherit. The expectation is not that
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he abandons his convictions, but that he learns how to
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express them in a way that builds alliances rather than
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creates friction. The aid also said the feeling is that
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William needs to develop emotional discipline. He is being encouraged
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to reflect on how he reacts under pressure and how
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those reactions are perceived by others, particularly on the international stage,
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and another Palace aid summed up the king's thinking this way.
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The King's view is that he needs to become a
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diplomat on the world stage in every sense of the word.
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That means knowing when to push, when to hold back,
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and how to navigate very complex relationships without allowing personal
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feelings to take over. They added, there is also an
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understanding that the next monarch will face a very different
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global landscape, and William has to be ready for that.
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He will be expected to engage with leaders whose views
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he may strongly disagree with, but still maintain constructive dialogue.
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According to a report in The Daily Mail, King Charles
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is expected to bring Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie back
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into view at Royal Ascot this June, with both sisters
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reportedly invited in what is being described as a clear
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sign of support from the King. The report says Beatrice
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and Eugenie could appear in the carriage procession and in
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the Royal Enclosure, with their husbands Eduardo Mabellimozzi and Jack
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brooks Bank also potentially attending. A source close to the
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King told the son all the scions are there, not
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being judged on the sins of their parents. This would
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be an interesting development in the storyline about the rift
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between Charles and William, as William is reportedly against the
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sisters appearing and would likely set out the Ascot himself
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if they were to come. We welcome the content. Speaking
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about the exclusion of Eugenie from Ester, as sources told
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Naughty By and Nice, the message was simple, if certain
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people are there, we won't be. Radar Online also reports
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tension between Charles and William are said to be growing
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over how to handle Andrew, with sources claiming the father
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and son are increasingly at odds over whether the scandal
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has been dealt with firmly enough. One source said, in
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William's mind, Andrew should have been removed from the line
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of succession immediately and cut out of royal life completely.
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Same source added the fact that the situation with Andrew
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wasn't dealt with years ago horrifies him. As far as
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William is concerned, they can't allow Andrew's intimidation or threats
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of retaliation to dictate what happens. Another insider claimed William
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has promised more responsibility and influence, but that hasn't materialized.
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It feels frozen out, and he's complaining about it openly.
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The tension between him and Charles is obvious to everyone,
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and it's only getting worse. A further source said that
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both incredibly strong willed men with formidable tempers, and they
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both believe they're right. William is convinced his father's inaction
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will ultimately become William's burden to carry when he takes
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the throne. That's what really eats at him. If the
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decision had been his, Andrew would have been banished years ago.
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Radar also quotes a source saying Charles is deeply frustrated
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by what he sees is pressure from his air That
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insiders said Charles is aghast that William thinks he can
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tell the King how to handle this. He's still the
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monarch and he doesn't appreciate being pushed by his own son,
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however passionate William might be, this isn't just about Andrew.
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At its core, this is about who truly steers the
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ship and who will ultimately control the monarchy's future. The
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report also claims Andrew himself is increasingly fearful about his situation,
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once said he is convinced it's a giant plot to
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take him down, and that a growing section of people
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on both sides of the pond would be a good
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deal happier if he were dead because of his ties
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to Epstein. The same insider added that he is spiraling
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right now and hardly leaving the house because he fears
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people may attack him if seen in public. More palacing
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just a moment. King Charles is said to be losing
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patience with Andrew over the cost and scale of demands
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linked to his new home in Norfolk, with one source
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claiming the king has even floated the possibility of pushing
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him into a caravan if the complaints do not stop.
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One palace source tells Radar Online Charles is on the
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verge of banishing Andrew into a caravan if he doesn't
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stop making demands about his new home. That is how
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strained things have become. The King is angry and increasing
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unwilling to fund what is seen as excessive requests, particularly
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given the circumstances that led to Andrew's removal from Royal Lodge.
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Another inside ha said the warning about a caravan has
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been taken seriously behind the scenes. It reflects a hardening
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attitude from the King that enough is enough. One source
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said the King's frustration is really beginning to show because
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from his perspective, he has already committed significant funds and
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does not intend to keep paying out redditional requests. There
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is a clear line being drawn. Charles is not willing
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to bankroll what he sees as unnecessary extras, particularly given
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the wider circumstances surrounding Andrew's situation. Another insider said Andrew
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continues to push for the higher standard in everything, but
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the tolerance for that approach is wearing in. There is
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a growing sense that the patience on the other side
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has limits. The signal coming from the top is that
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he needs to dial back his expectations and come to
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terms with a far more modest arrangement because the appetite
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to indulge further demands is fading fast. And there you
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have it. I'd like to email us addresses the Paletts
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Intrigue at gmail dot com. Please follow us on your
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favorite app. I'm Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott.
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There's Palette's Intrigue in good terms.
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00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:29.360
122
00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:32.560
123
00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:35.160
124
00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:37.439
125
00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:39.160
126
00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:41.639
127
00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.920
128
00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:47.560
129
00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:51.600
130
00:06:51.720 --> 00:06:57.279
131
00:06:57.360 --> 00:06:59.959
132
00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:03.079
133
00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:05.480
134
00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.279
135
00:07:08.839 --> 00:07:11.839
136
00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:14.160
137
00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:16.639
138
00:07:16.680 --> 00:07:20.240
139
00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:23.920
140
00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:27.040
141
00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:29.839
142
00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:32.279
143
00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:35.120
144
00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:38.079
145
00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:41.319
146
00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:44.839
147
00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:47.160
148
00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:50.879
149
00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:55.879
150
00:07:55.879 --> 00:07:58.279
151
00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:00.920
152
00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:03.040
153
00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:05.879
154
00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.519
155
00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:11.759
156
00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:15.759
157
00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:18.120
158
00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:21.279
159
00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:24.560
160
00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:26.680
