April 19, 2026

Meghan’ Markle's MasterChef Optics Problem as Fergie Reappears

Show Notes
Transcript

Meghan Markle faces a new round of criticism after the timing of her MasterChef Australia appearance sparked questions about whether duty and commercial opportunity are being awkwardly mixed on this quasi-royal tour. We look at the backlash, the debate over whether she was paid, and Richard Eden’s argument that the trip is part of a wider “Project Thaw” effort to rehabilitate the Sussex brand. After the break, Sarah Ferguson resurfaces in Austria after months out of view, as reports swirl about her low-profile movements across Europe and her future amid the Epstein fallout. We also examine claims that Fergie has reached out to Tiger Woods, and why that move is already being viewed with suspicion.

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Ah calorogus shark media, he long and welcome to Palace

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intrigue game host Mark Francis.

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When a promotional photo showing the Duchess of Sussex alongside

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the judges of a popular cooking television show emerged on Wednesday,

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the first response so many had was is this real?

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That was the premise of a piece by Natalie Oliveri

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for Honey nine. She continues, but alas this was no

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prank or ai. It was a misstep and arguably Megan's

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most tone deaf move yet. It was a pully tamed

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move on Meghan's part. On day two of her and

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Prince Harry's non royal, but very royal looking tour of Australia,

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as Prince Harry was laying a wreath of the Australian

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War Memorial in paying tribute to those who have made

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the ultimate sacrifice for our country, Meghan was filming a

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guest spot on Master Chef. The optics were bad. Just

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as we were all starting to warm to Meghan again

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after her various blunders since leaving the Royal family, she

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goes and does this. Now. Don't get me wrong, Megan

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and Prince Harry need to make Moneys ago. When they

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walked away from the Windsors, they were clear that their

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motivation was financial along with wanting privacy. They have to

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earn a living now that funding from King Charles and

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the taxpayer has gone. But after seeing the Duchess holding

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the hands of sick children, serving for Tarta to abuse survivors,

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and mingling with veterans on Tuesday, many pointed out that

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she and Harry were what the royal family was missing,

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that this Australian tour was proving to King Charles and

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his clan what amazing assets these Sussexes could have been.

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In fact, what this Australian tour has now shown is

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that perhaps the late Queen Elizabeth IID was right all along.

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There was absolutely no room for mixing duty with money.

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Megan is by far not the only lower ranked royal

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with a side hustle. Sweden's Princess Madeline recently launched a

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skin care line, but has done so under her private

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name without using her royal title. Denmark's Count Nikolai as

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a popular influencer and model, but has never once shown

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any disrespect to his uncle, King Frederick the Tenth or

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his grandmother Queen Margaret at the second after she downgraded

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his prince's title to that of account While Megan may

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not have been unable to control the poor timing of

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the Master Chef promo, which came out around the same

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time as Harry was in Canberra attending a last post ceremony,

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surely the Duchess's team could have insisted network bosses wait

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until at least Friday, once the solemn portion of the

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couple's quasi at Royal tour was up, and that leads

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to the long running debate about whether Prince Harry and

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Meghan actually listened to their advisors, or if they have

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advisers at all. There appears to be two very different

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tours happening at once, Harry the Prince dipping back into

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his former life as a working royal and being his fun,

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compassionate and free going self, and Megan the money making,

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self promoting lifestyle influencer. According to one report, Megan may

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have been paid around three hundred and eighty thousand dollars

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for the one day filming commitment, a figure that drew

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attention when compared to past celebrity guests on the program.

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The Daily Mail counted that suggesting Meghan was not paid

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at all. Industry figures have also aid in on the

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earlier estimates. Former television executive Rob McKnight dismissed the idea

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of a six figure fee, saying I think it is

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a brilliant pr move by network Ten, which is probably

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worth the least amount of money of the major networks,

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adding it has shown Ten is the little engine that could.

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He also suggested that even if a fee had been involved,

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it would likely have been far lower, in the range

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of ten to fifty thousand. The appearance has generated mixed

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reactions among viewers, something mcnight suggested may actually benefit the show.

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He said, the backlash against Megan Markle doesn't hurt. It's

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got everyone talking about the show, adding Megan polarizes people.

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People love her, but a lot of people hate her,

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which means she is far from boring. Online reaction to

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Megan's Master Chef Australia appearance has been mixed. One commenter

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said I'll give that particular episode a miss, while another

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wrote they misread this one. Others were more supportive, with

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one saying I can't wait. I love Harry and Meghan,

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and another adding simply love it. Richard Eden in The

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Daily Mail last year, I disclosed that there was an

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establishment plot to bring back the Sussexes, which was given

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the code name Project Thor due to its aims of

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improving the frosty relationships between the couple and the Royal

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family as well as the British public. This is straining

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tour at the latest stage of Project Thor because it

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aims to highlight both the popularity of Harry and Meghan

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as well as their devotion to public duty, and it

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seems to be having the desired effect, at least among

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some of the more gullible sections of the media. One

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British royal correspondent claimed breathlessly yesterday that the tour shows

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just what the Royal family is missing. Project thw isn't

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just wishful thinking on the part of the Sussexes and

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their friends. It is supported by some senior politicians in

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Britain and key figures at Buckingham Palace. In my own opinion,

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young cancer victims can end up looking like props to

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help the Sussexes make money. It's extremely dangerous for the monarchy.

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The public need to know that the Royals are carrying

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out engagements out of a sense of duty not to

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provide window dressing for a lucrative foreign tour in just

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a moment, Sarah Ferguson has been seen in public for

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the first time in months, as questions continue to swirl

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about her whereabouts and her future amid the fallout from

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the Epstein scandal. According to reports in The Daily Mail,

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Sarah was photographed at a luxury ski resort in Austria,

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appearing subdued and attempting to keep a low profile as

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she moved between a chalet and waiting vehicle. Those close

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to her say the low visibility is deliberate. One source

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said she had been keeping an incredibly low profile, adding

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that her appearance suggested an effort to avoid being recognized.

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But the Austrian sighting is only part of a wider picture.

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A separate report describes what has been characterized as a

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period of near constant movement across Europe, with Ferguson reportedly

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traveling between locations including Zurich and Cork before resurfacing in

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the Alps. A Royal insiders said she's desperate, she has

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not been in a good place mentally, and there's the

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worry that the police and politicians on both sides of

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the Atlantic will want to see her testify it about

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what she knew of Epstein. Sarah's still got friends looking

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out for her, and some of them have the money

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to help her to continue to hide out, but she

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can't do that forever. The scandal is going to go

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on for years, sooner or later, she's going to have

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to face the music. According to Radar Online, Ferguson has

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reached out to Tiger Woods following his latest legal troubles,

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but the movie is already raising questions about her intentions.

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One source said there are real concerns this could be

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perceived as a kind of emotional opportunism. Sarah is offering

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herself up as a shoulder for Tiger to cry on,

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but critics are already questioning whether it looks like she's

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trying to attach herself to him for her own ends.

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People around Tiger will see her move as a calculator

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move rather than an act of empathy, especially given her

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history of gravitating toward high profile figures in moments of crisis,

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so she can ask for cash and maybe try and

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fleece him for all he's got. One insider said Sarah

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Ferguson made it very clear she was interested in Tiger

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Woods back when he was at the peak of his fame,

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adding that while nothing came of it, the initial fascination

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fully disappeared. Another source claimed she has always kept an

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eye on what he's doing, so when this latest incident happened,

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it triggered that instinct to reach out again and try

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to be part of his support network. Those close to

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Woods are said to be taking a cautious approach. One

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insider explained Tiger is effectively in a protective bubble right now.

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There's a very small group of trusted people around him,

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and they are being extremely selective about who gets through.

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They won't want any added complications or distractions, particularly from

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someone whose involvement could attract additional media attention and end

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up in Sarah asking for a handout. That probably the

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most vulnerable moment of her life, and they have it.

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If you'd like to email us, our address is the

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Palace intriger at gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotify,

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Apple or the app that you are using. By Mark

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Francis Mean thanks to John McDermott, this is Palace Intrigue

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in good terms

Meghan’ Markle's MasterChef Optics Problem as Fergie Reappears

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