June 23, 2026
Meghan Markle's Matcha Recipe Gets Messy as King Charles Opens the Tax Books
Meghan Markle’s strawberry matcha collaboration gets a fresh round of online criticism after royal watchers notice Clevr Blends already had a similar recipe using Bonne Maman instead of As Ever. Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace reveals how it keeps cool during a heatwave without air conditioning, King Charles prepares to publish details of his personal tax bill in a historic transparency move, Prince William gathers major names including Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch for a United for Wildlife business forum, and Buckingham Palace makes a rare Court Circular mistake involving Prince Edward and James, Earl of Wessex.
Palace Intrigue is a daily British royal family podcast covering King Charles, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and the House of Windsor. New episodes every day. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.
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Ah Calorogus Shark Media. Hey and welcome to Pallas Intrigue.
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I am your host. Mark Francewers. Megan Michael's latest lifestyle
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collaboration is drawing attention online not because of what was
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included in the recipe, but because of what apparently wasn't.
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The Duchess of Sussex recently promoted a Strawberry Matcha drink
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made in partnership with Clever Blends, the California based beverage
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company she has publicly supported for several years. The recipe
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featured Clever's Mucha product alongside Megan's as Ever strawberry fruit
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spread and the now familiar edible flower sprinkles that have
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become part of the brand's identity, but social media users
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quickly noticed something unusual. Clever Blends already has a very
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similar Strawberry much A recipe on its own website. The
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difference is that the company's version uses Bond Maman strawberry
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preserves rather than Megans as Ever fruit spread. Bond Maman's
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preserve a traditional jam style product containing fruit pieces in
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a thicker consistency, while as Evers fruit spread has been
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marketed as a smooth and more porable alternative when social
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media user wrote, I love that they don't alter their
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recipe to please Markle. As Britain swelters through unusually high temperatures,
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some royal watchers have been wondering how Buckingham Palace copes
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with the heat. The palace, which serves King Charles's main
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working headquarters in London, is one of the largest occupied
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buildings in the United Kingdom, with seven hundred and seventy
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five rooms, including nineteen state rooms, fifty two royal and
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guest bedrooms, one hundred eighty eight staff rooms, seventy eight
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bathrooms and more than ninety offices. Despite its size, bucking
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And Palace does not rely on air conditioning. Instead, the
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building uses centuries old technique known as stack of ventilation.
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With more than seven hundred and sixty windows and over
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fifteen hundred doors, warm air is allowed to rise and
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escape through higher openings, drawing cooler air into the building below.
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The system may sound old fashioned, but it remains remarkably effective.
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In fact, many of the palace's original architectural features were
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designed long before modern cooling systems existed, and continue to
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help regulate temperatures naturally. While King Charles and Queen Camilla
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do not live full time at Buckingham Palace, the King
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conducts many of his official duties there, making the comfort
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of staff and visitors an ongoing concern during periods of
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hot weather. The decision not to install widespread air conditioning
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also reflects the King's long standing environmental priorities. Charles has
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spent decades advocating for sustainability and reducing energy consumption, and
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those values extend to the management of royal residences. The
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annual Sovereign Grant Report previously revealed that heating levels at
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Buckingham Palace had been reduced as part of efforts to
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cut energy use, with temperature kept around nineteen degrees celsius
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during winter and lowered further in unused rooms. At the
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same time, Buckingham Palaces in the middle of a major
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ten year refurbishment project. The work includes replacing aging electrical systems,
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plumbing and heating infrastructure, much which dates back decades and
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is in need of modernization. According to the Royal Household,
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the project is designed not only to improve efficiency, but
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also to protect one of Britain's most famous buildings for
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future generations. So while many Londoners are searching for the
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nearest fan or portable air conditioner. Buckingham Palace is relying
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on a combination of historic design, open windows in a
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little royal practicality to stay cool. King Charles is set
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to make royal history when Buckingham Palace publishes details of
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his personal tax bill, the first time a British monarch
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has disclosed that information while serving as head of state.
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The figures will be released alongside the annual Sovereign Grant
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Report and a new Royal Household Financial Report. The Palace
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official say is designed to improve public understanding of how
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the monarchy is funded. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the
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move was intended to improve the clarity and accessibility of
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royal finances. While the announcement is being presented as a
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significant step forward in transparency, there is also an important
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historical footnote. This is not actually the first time Charles
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has published his tax information, A spokesman said. While this
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is the first time a monarch has shared his personal
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tax information, you may recall it was similarly released by
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His Majesty when he was Prince of Wales. The decision
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to do so as sovereign has come at the express
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wish of the King himself as part of the adaptations
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carried across since a session unlikely sovereign grant which funds
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official royal duties. The King's personal income comes from a
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variety of sources, including private investments, private estates such as
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Balmoral and Sandringham, and income from the Duchy of Lancaster.
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The Duchy of Lancaster generated approximately twenty six point eight
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million pounds during the last financial year. Under arrangements agreed
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with the government, Charles voluntarily pays income tax on his
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private income and capital gains tax on relevant assets. The
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movie is likely to draw comparisons with Prince William. The
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Prince of Wales receives income from the Duchy of Cornwall,
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which generated almost twenty three million pounds during the last
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financial year. William was confirmed that he voluntarily pays the
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highest rate of income tax after official costs are deducted,
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but the exact amount he pays has never been made public.
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That means the King is now set to become more
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transparent about his personal tax affairs than his heir. The
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announcement is also another example of something Charles has been
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trying to do since becoming monarch modernized without creating revolution,
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one spokesman said, in order to constantly improve and to
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encourage wider understanding of our accountability, the Royal Household has
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been considering options to enhance this transparency. Still further, to
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put it simply, we continue to modernize and evolve. Prince
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William was joined by some familiar faces from the worlds
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of film, technology and business as he hosted a major
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gathering focused on combating wildlife crime. The Prince of Wales
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attended a landmark business forum for United for Wildlife in London,
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where he was photographed speaking with actress Emma Watson and
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actor Benedict Cumberbutch. The event formed part of London Climate
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Action Week, Europe's largest citywide climate festival, which runs from
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Dear through June twenty eighth. William attended in his roles
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as the President and founder of the Earthshop Prize and
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founder of the Royal Foundations United for Wildlife Initiative. The
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forum brought together representatives from some of the world's largest
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companies to tackle the growing problem of illegal wildlife trafficking
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and environmental crime. The initiative represents the latest stage in
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William's long running campaign against wildlife trafficking, an issue he
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has described for years as one of the most significant
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threats facing in endangered species around the world. More Palace
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in just a moment. Buckingham Palace is known for getting
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the details right. Every title, military appointment and royal engagement
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is carefully recorded in the Court Circular, the official daily
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record of the royal family's activities. Historians rely on it,
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journalists rely on it. Palace staff check it repeatedly before publication,
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which is why a rare mistake this week quickly caught
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the attention of royal watchers. The error involved Edward and
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his son James, Earl of Wessex. The Court Circular included
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an entry which read the Earl of Wessex Colonel Scott's
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Guards this morning attending the regimental gathering its son Barracks
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Katrick Garrison. The problem is that James is not Colonel
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of the Scott's Guards. That position belongs to his father,
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the Duke of Edinburgh. The mistake was quickly spotted by
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royal enthusiasts and circulated on social media, where screenshots of
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the entry began to attract attention. Among those highlighting the
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error was the Daily Mail Diary editor Richard Eden he
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wrote a rare error in the court circular issued by
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Buckingham Palace. It is the Duke of Edinburgh, not his son,
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the Earl of Wessex, who was Colonel of the Scott's Guards.
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Prince Edward was appointed Colonel of the Scott's Guards by
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King Charles in twenty twenty four as part of a
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wider reshuffle of military appointments following the accession. The role
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had previously been held by the Duke of Kent for
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half a century. James, who is eighteen, does not currently
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hold any comparable military appointment. The publication serves as the
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official historical record of royal engagements and is normally regarded
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as one of the most accurate documents produced by the Palace.
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Every day. It records where working roles have been, who
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they've met, and what duties they have carried out. For
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that reason, even a small title mix up tends to
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attract attention. And there you have it. Hey, all this
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month more encouraging listeners of Palace Intrigue to help spread
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the word. If you enjoy the show, please tell a
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friend about us. Better yet, share an episode with someone
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who loves following the royal family. You know who they are.
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Be sure to follow Palace Intrigue on Spotify as well
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as Apple. Turn on your notification so you never miss
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today's stories. You can leave a comment for us on
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Spotify my Mark Francis men thanks to John McDermott. This
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is Palace Intrigue and Good Dams
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00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:09.560
140
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:12.279
141
00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:14.600
142
00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:18.399
143
00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:21.160
144
00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:23.240
145
00:08:23.240 --> 00:08:25.800
146
00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:28.319
147
00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:31.759
148
00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:34.080
149
00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:36.240
150
00:08:36.279 --> 00:08:38.440
151
00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:42.320
152
00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:44.519
