Meghan Markle Tops Royal Power Rankings as Charles Faces Reparations Pressure and Palace Rat Problem

0:03 Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I am your host, Mark Francis. Royal insider Deep Crown has published October's Royal Power Rankings with Meghan Markle at number one, Prince Harry second, and King Charles down in sixth place. The list ranks influence rather than titles, and Deep Crown argues that Meghan's influence over Harry's decisions earns her the top spot. In the columnist's assessment, she has considerable say over where the Sussexes live and what happens next. Harry takes second because his return to Britain puts him closer to the institution and makes his movements harder for the palace to ignore.

0:45 Earl Spencer ranks third. The Crown points to the palace's response to his Diana memoir as evidence that he can make the royal household address a controversy publicly. William is fourth. The column credits his successful public appearances but argues that he is still managing stories driven by other people. Diana herself takes fifth, reflecting how strongly her legacy continues to shape the family. Charles follows in sixth, then Camilla in seventh, recognized for her continuing influence behind closed doors. Catherine is eighth, with public affection identified as her greatest strength. Sophie takes ninth for her steady royal work. Sarah Ferguson completes the list at ten. Deep Crown argues that her knowledge of the family gives her potential influence, particularly if talk of a memoir develops into something more. Queen Camilla makes excellent scrambled eggs, loves toast, and has firm instructions about where the lemon belongs in a roast chicken. That is the verdict from her son, food writer Tom Parker Bowles. Speaking to the Press and Journal, Tom recalled family meals in Wiltshire long before his mother became Queen. He said, People forget that before she was this royal figure, we grew up in the country in Wiltshire. My dad was in the army and was away a lot, so she cooked for us kids. His father, Andrew Parker Bowles, was often away on military duties, leaving Camilla to handle the cooking at home. She was a really good cook, a traditional British cook. You know, you get the best chicken you can afford, cover it with butter, put a lemon in its cavity. Not up its bottom, as she always says.

2:14 It's actually the neck cavity, and roast it. That's it. Asked whether he cooks for his mother and King Charles when he visits, Tom was less enthusiastic about taking over the kitchen. I don't think they would want me to cook for them when I visit. King Charles will begin his Caribbean tour in the Bahamas on October 27th, but the visit is not expected to include a formal apology for slavery or offer of financial reparations. According to the Express, Buckingham Palace says the program will acknowledge the past, while decisions about apologies and compensation remain with the British government. The King will travel first to the Bahamas, then to Guyana on October 29th. Queen Camilla will join him in Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

2:58 A palace spokesperson said, The visit program will therefore not shy away from the darkest days of our past, as His Majesty has described them, but, in keeping with the wishes of our host nations, it will principally be oriented to the vibrant present and promising future of each country, with visit programs developed in close consultation with their governments to reflect their individual priorities. The announcement follows calls from Bahamas National Reparations Committee for Charles to arrive prepared to apologize for an unnamed source told Radar Online, the King has an extraordinary sense of duty, but there is no question that the relentless succession of controversies he has faced in recent years and months is really wearing him down, particularly when he is simultaneously dealing with cancer. The palace spokesperson said, His Majesty, of course, always acts on the advice of his government as part of our constitutional settlement.

3:49 He has a long history of engaging on this particular issue, and all of the things that he has said at the Chogham and elsewhere in the past about his personal sorrow about this particular period of our history are worth repeating. And it's not just about what His Majesty has said, it's about what he's done. The personal support for the Commonwealth educational programs since the last Chogham and his support over many decades for young people through the King's Trust. This shows that he has always engaged on ways in which the inequalities of the past can be righted. But as far as preparations and apologies go, that is a matter for the government. In the Bahamas, Charles will attend a traditional Junkanoo Parade, a youth rally at Clifford Park, and a conservation visit. In Guyana, the program will mark 60 years of relations since independence with trade, rainforest conservation, and mangrove restoration among the priorities. Charles and Camilla will attend Antigua and Barbuda's Independence Parade on November 1st and formally open the Commonwealth Summit. Camilla will also join a Women's Forum session on ending violence against women and girls.

4:53 and meet students taking part in a Commonwealth writing workshop. King Charles remains determined to restore greatness to Britain, according to royal biographer Robert Jobson, who adds, Charles has spent years seeking to make a difference, to illuminate dark corners, to champion causes. Even though he now wears the crown, it has not bound him. His work and projects he initiated speak louder, proving leadership is not about show. For him, it is all about impact. If anything in this fractured world, under Charles' stewardship, the standing of the monarchy has held firm. Buckingham Palace's pest control team is preparing for its annual autumn battle with rats and other unwanted visitors, with the work featured in an upcoming Channel 5 documentary which follows pest control expert Duncan Bosomworth as he tackles what is called the autumn intrusion. Part of his job is finding places where rodents are likely to travel while keeping traps discreetly positioned around the palace. Bosenworth explains, People have an expectation as they walk around Buckingham Palace and the last thing they want to see is a rat box or a mousetrap. The documentary looks back at earlier encounters with rodents, including Queen Victoria's private rat catcher, Jack Black. It also recounts an incident in which a rat was reportedly spotted in the accommodation used by Barack and Michelle Obama during a palace stay. According to the program's account, the president asked staff not to tell the First Lady. More palace in just a moment. Lady Louise Windsor's relationship with Felix

6:29 de Silva Clamp is reportedly becoming more serious, with an unnamed source claiming the couple have discussed buying a home and starting a family. Louise and Felix are very serious about their relationship and talking about their future together. From having kids to buying a house, the insider told New Idea. Louise, who is 22, and Felix both began studying at the University of St. Andrews in 2022. They have largely kept their relationship private, although the Express reports that they have been seen together at carriage-driving events and their graduation. Felix also joined Louise and her parents for a theatre visit in August. According to the unnamed insider, Sophie and Prince Edward are fond of Felix, but have different views about how involved they should become in their daughter's decisions. Getting married is a stepping stone, but for a career woman like Sophie, she's genuinely worried they are both way too young.

7:21 Edward thinks she should stay out of it, pointing out the virtues of not accumulating an extensive romantic past, only to have it come back and humiliate them like it has for him and with some of his exes. This isn't just some university romance. Louise and Felix are in a love bubble and can't imagine life without each other, but all talk of an official engagement was hushed up until after they graduate. Princess Anne has described a simple way to bring a dinner party to an end, give guests their dessert to take home. After all, one wants everyone out of the house by 9.15pm at the latest. For pudding, I pass them a choc ice to eat in the car. Princess Diana's dance with John Travolta at the White House became one of the best-known images of her life, but Travolta was not the only Hollywood star who took her onto the dance floor that evening. Clint Eastwood had a turn, too. Radar Online is revisiting that encounter with a headline promising a secret night of passion.

8:19 The story itself offers accounts of a dance, a later dinner, and an unnamed source's claims about their attraction. It does not establish that Diana and Eastwood had a romance. The White House dinner took place on November 9th, 1985, hosted by Ronald and Nancy Reagan during Charles and Diana's visit to Washington. Diana was 24, Eastwood was 55, according to the account repeated by Radar, He teased Diana, you're too old for me. She replied, I'm only 24. And there you have it. If you'd like to email us, our address is thepalaceintrigue at gmail.com. If you're on Spotify, leave us a comment. If you're on Apple, hit that button up there that says listen uninterrupted and get the show commercial free for five bucks a month. We appreciate your support.

9:03 I'm Mark Francis. Thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue. Good times.