April 28, 2026
King Charles to address Congress as U.S. visit continues
King Charles is set to address a joint meeting of Congress today, becoming only the second British monarch to do so after Queen Elizabeth the Second in 1991.
Later, Donald Trump and Melania Trump will host the King and Queen Camilla at the White House for a formal state dinner, one of the central ceremonial moments of the visit.
In other developments, a guest at Meghan Markle’s recent wellness retreat has pushed back on reports of poor attendance, describing the event as “AMAZING” and denying claims of disruption. The attendee said Meghan received a standing ovation and stayed to speak with guests individually.
Additional accounts from Australia have also been positive, with a MasterChef Australia producer describing Meghan as “so great” and “a normal human,” while a photographer said both she and Harry were “the loveliest and so, so personable” during engagements.
Harry also drew attention for a personal interaction during a commercial flight, offering comfort to a passenger returning from a family funeral, telling her: “She already knows,” in reference to her late grandmother.
However, not all coverage has been favorable. Harry faced criticism following an awkward moment with a reporter in Melbourne, with some commentators suggesting it undercut efforts to present a more relaxed public image.
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William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story
The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana
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Calorogus shark media. Well and welcome to Pallace Intrigue. I
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am your host, Mark Francis. King Charles the Third will
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address a joint meeting of Congress today, becoming only the
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second British monarch to do so. His mother, Queen Elizabeth
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the Second, was the first when she delivered a historic
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address in nineteen ninety one. Following the address, Donald Trump
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and First Lady Milania Trump are scheduled to host King
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Charles and Queen Camilla at the White House for a
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formal state dinner, one of the central ceremonial moments of
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the visit. We'll check in on the trip in this
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afternoon's episode. In other news, a guest who says they
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attended Meghan's wellness retreat is disputing claims that the retreat
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was poorly attended or disrupted. Posting on social media, the
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guest described the evening in emphatic terms, calling it amazing.
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Said it brought together women of different shapes, ages, and colors,
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portraying a diverse and engaged audience. She also pushed back
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directing on claims of disruption, stating there was no heckling, booing,
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or interruption during Meghan's conversation or at any other point
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in the evening. According to the Blast, The same attendee
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said the Duchess received a strong reception, noting she received
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a very loud standing ovation when she arrived on stage,
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with a similarly positive response at the conclusion of her remarks.
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Prince Harry was also said to have been warmly received
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with the guests, describing a very warm welcome from those
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in attendance. According to her account, Meghan stayed after the
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event to speak individually with guests and was described as
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a very special person, very kind and intelligent, adding that
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her presence radiates warmth. The attendee also criticized media coverage
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of the retreat, writing I know the truth about this retreat.
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I lived it, yet they outright lie about it for
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clicks and to spin the hate cycle. They lie about
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this a woman's wellness retreat, then they will lie about
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anything and everything. Separate reporting cited by the last suggested
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guests received curated gift bags, including items from Meghan's lifestyle brand,
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as ever, with the total value estimated at around two
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hundred dollars. A producer for Mastershif Australia described Meghan as
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so great, adding that she was so nice to all
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the crew, had a good sense of humor, and was
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just a normal human. That same source noted that Meghan
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kept her presence relatively low key with a small entourage,
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and was really good at judging, too, offering concise feedback
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compared to regular judges, who, as the producer put it,
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often waffle. Separately, a photographer who worked with the couple
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said they were the loveliest and so personable, noting they
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took time with members of the public and children at
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engagements during the Australia trip. The photographer added that the
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pair said yes to every photo and made an effort
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to engage warmly, even greeting some community members by name.
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Meghan shared a briefer personal moment offering advice on marriage
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to a bride to be during an encounter at Bondai Beach.
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The Duchess said, I just wanted to say congratulations on
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your wedding, enjoy the wedding bits, more about the marriage,
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sending you love all over the world. Your dad is awesome.
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Harry offered a quiet moment of comfort to a grieving
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passenger during a commercial flight following his recent trip to Austradium.
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The woman, identified by the Mirror as Justine Parkhurst, said
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she had been returning home after attending her grandmother's funeral
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when she unexpectedly found herself seated next to the Duke
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on her flight from Sydney to la She explained that
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she had been emotional during the journey before realizing who
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was sitting beside her. Recalling the brief exchange, she said,
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we chatted for a minute and I told him that
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my nan is the only one I really wanted to
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tell about sitting next to the Royal. He said, she
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already knows. I believe he is right a bit she
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arranged the whole thing. Parkhurst added that she and her
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husband had originally been booked on a different flight, but
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switched at the last minute, later receiving an upgrade to
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first class, where Harry and Meghan were also seated. She
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described the couple as warm and approachable, saying I will
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tell you that he was very nice and so was
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his wife. They were sweet to everyone and each other.
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Harry has faced criticism after an awkward interaction with a
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reporter during the Australia trip. The incident reportedly took place
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during a scar tree walk in Melbourne when Channel seven
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reporter Paul Dowsley attempted to take a selfie near the couple.
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Footage appeared to show Harry nudging the reporter aside as
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Megan passed through the crowded area. The exchange was described
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as friendly in tone, with Harry reportedly complementing Dowsley's tie
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and telling him he was always so well dressed. However,
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unnamed sources told Radar Online the moment is fueled criticism
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of Harry's public image. One inside It said Harry is
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desperate to present himself as laid back and approachable, but
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moments like this undermine that he's being branded a total
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hypocrite over it. On one hand, he wants to be
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seen as relaxed and lovable, and on the other he
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gets worked up by something as trivial as a selfie.
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Another inside has said it's the contrast that people are
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reacting to. The image doesn't quite match the behavior, whether
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the real was lighthearted or not. A report in Radar
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Online noted that Dowsley was later escorted away by a
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security guard, highlighting the tensions between the Sussex's efforts to
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appear accessible and the heavily managed nature of their public appearances.
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One commentator said, in the context of a royal tour,
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every gesture is scrutinized. Something that might otherwise be brushed
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off becomes a talking point, especially when it appears to
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contradict a carefully cultivated image. A further source added, there's
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an expectation that if you position yourself as successible and
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you have to accept the realities that come with that.
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Otherwise it risks looking selective, open when it suits, guarded
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when it doesn't. More balancy just a moment. One commentator
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described the trip as a fantasy royal tour. Le Co
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and a US based columnist toalg GB News, two private
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individuals representing no institution but themselves staged events mirroring the
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working royal formula they rejected in twenty twenty. This is
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not their first at such performance. It is one of
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many previous fantasy royal tours to Columbia and Nigeria saw
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the Sussex's cosplay as royals in good standing with official
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style engagements and staged humanitarian moments that refusal to disappear.
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That determination to harm the institution while profiting from its
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aura elevates them in shame beyond even Edward and Wallace.
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It makes them the most contemptible public figures of our times.
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The monarchy will outlast them, Britain will outlast them, but
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the memory of these calculated spectacles will remain as proof
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of how completely they failed to step aside with dignity.
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A source told Radar Online there was no shortage of
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attention on this trip. The tour was widely covered and
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clearly reached a large audience, but that exposure did not
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translate into greater support. If anything, it reinforced existing views
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rather than changing them, and this polling shows it. And
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Inside has said there is a sense that people remain
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unconvinced by the half in half out of the royal
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family approach. They added it can appear inconsistent part royal tour,
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part commercial venture, and that ambiguity makes it harder for
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audiences to connect with what Harry and Meghan are trying
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to do. One Palace source said the strip feels like
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one of the clearest indications yet that Harry and Meghan
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are actively leveraging their royal connections in the commercial context,
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and it has not gone unnoticed within royal circles. There
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is a genuine concern behind Palace stores about how this
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reflects on the institution as a whole. Situations like this
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tend to intensify existing debates about whether the line should
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be drawn and whether Harry and Meghan's continued use of
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royal titles in these circumstances remains appropriate or sustainable. The
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Sussex camp may feel differently, a source said, from the
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Sussex's perspective, this trip has effectively been a real world
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trial of how their approach confunction, and they believe it
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delivered the results they were hoping for. Another insider added
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there is a strong feeling within the camp that they
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are on the right path that's stepping outside the traditional
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royal framework while still engaging in higher profile public work,
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is both viable and sustainable. A source close to Harry
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Tell's Radar online Harry has always believed that over time,
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perception catches up with reality, and that consistency in how
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you show up matters more than any short term criticism.
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His view is that the more opportunities people have to
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see them in different settings, whether through public engagements or
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direct interactions, the harder it becomes to sustain the idea
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that there is some hidden motive behind their actions. He
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feels that gradually those experiences will speak for themselves and
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challenge the narrative that they are operating with any kind
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of agenda there If you'd like to email us or
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addresses the Palace Intrigue at gmail dot com, please followus
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on Spotify, Apple or the app of your choice. By
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Mark francis My thanks to John McDermott. This says Palace Intrigue,
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good terms,
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00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:51.680
121
00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:54.040
122
00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:56.360
123
00:06:56.399 --> 00:07:00.839
124
00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:04.800
125
00:07:04.839 --> 00:07:07.759
126
00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:12.040
127
00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:14.360
128
00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:17.639
129
00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:22.000
130
00:07:22.040 --> 00:07:25.000
131
00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:29.000
132
00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:32.000
133
00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:34.360
134
00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:39.680
135
00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:42.959
136
00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:45.720
137
00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:48.240
138
00:07:48.279 --> 00:07:51.759
139
00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:54.519
140
00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:57.720
141
00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:01.199
142
00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:04.839
143
00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:07.920
144
00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:11.399
145
00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:14.600
146
00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:17.160
147
00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:20.319
148
00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:23.680
149
00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:26.399
150
00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:29.800
151
00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.679
152
00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:36.159
153
00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:39.039
154
00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:41.840
155
00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:44.799
156
00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:45.919
