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Calorogus Shark Media. Hello, and welcome to Palace Intrigue Game,
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your host, Mark Francis. Meghan Michael has reached out to
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her father, Thomas Markel, after reports that he has undergone
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emergency surgery to amputator his left leg. The Duchess of
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Sussex's spokesperson confirmed the development, saying I can confirm she
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has reached out to her father. This being Megan, of course,
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his story got weirder the Express Rights. Meghan's representatives denied
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the claims on Friday evening, issuing a rare statement. They
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told The Daily Express, this is a complete fabrication. No
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aids have been instructed to reach out. Later in the night,
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her spokesperson issued a new statement which said I can
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confirm she has reached out to her father. Very strange.
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Samantha Michael has tweeted, while talk is cheap, so you
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can believe it if she and Harry put that on
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a private jet and into the best medical care in
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the United States. Until then, it's just pr when he
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hills a little bit, he should be on a plane
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into one of the best hospitals in the United States.
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Let's see Harry and Meg step up to the plate.
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An article in Parade magazine from August twenty twenty five
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speculated Harry and Meghan are worth sixty million dollars. We'll
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talk more about Meghan later, but let us not ignore
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the Princess of Wales, who hosted her fifth annual Together
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at Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey, with more than
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sixteen hundred guests gathering for an evening built around the
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themes of kindness, community and compassion. Catherine arrived ahead of
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a family greeting performers and readers, including Cape Winsley, Joe
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Locke and chiwattel Agear. Four moments later, she stepped back
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outside to welcome the Prince of Wales and their children,
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Prince George, Princess Arlotte and Prince Louis, who were dressed
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in coordinating navy and black. Inside the abbey, the Princess
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shared a light exchange with Eugene Levy, referring to the
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Canadian actors recent meeting with Prince William. Levy said lovely
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to meet you, prompting Catherine reply you know my husband
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very well now, to which he answered I had a
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lovely day with your husband. Although many senior royals attended.
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Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were absent due to prior commitments,
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and neither the King nor Queen Camilla were present. Their
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absence raised some eyebrows, leading to quick speculation about Charles's health,
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but royal watchers point out that Charles has never attended
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since becoming king. Our Royal inside at Deep Crown explains
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when their majesties attended in twenty twenty two, it was
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an act of filial devotion honoring Elizabeth in her final
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year that was entirely appropriate, as it should have been.
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Since then, Charles has made a rather astute decision to
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step back from this particular engagement. You must grasp that
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monarchy functions best when responsibilities are delegated with clarity. This
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Carol service has become Catherine's signature, initiative, her platform, if
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you will, and the King recognizes that his presence would
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inevitably overshadow hers. It's not about absence, it's about institutional intelligence.
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William and Catherine are positioned as the future, and Charles
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understands that the Crown must cultivate the next generation's relevance
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by allowing them to serve as These senior royals at
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this event. He's doing precisely what a wise sovereign should,
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letting his heir and his wife build their own base
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of public affection while he maintains appropriate distance. Princess Eugenie
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issued a statement saying, wish B and I could have
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been celebrating tonight without family. Wishing the Princess of Wales
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such a special evening at her incredible Carol service. What
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an amazing message of love and hope. Of course their
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attendants could have been all sorts of distract in giving
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the Andrew news cycle. Also absent was Hannah Waddingham. The
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actress was due to sing in The Bleak Midwinter, but
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has been forced to cancel. The stated reason was her
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voice was strained by an intensive filming schedule for the occasion.
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Princess Catherine wore a Katherine Walker coat with a Troy
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Fur trimmed collar, paired with a Robinson Pelham sar stud
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star drop earrings, previously seeing that the top gun Maverick premiere.
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The service itself blended traditional carols, poetry and musical performances.
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Prince William delivered a Bible reading from the pulpit while
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Cape Winslet and Chiwateel Edgy of four read during the program.
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The abbey decorated with Christmas trees and a central Nativity
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display was filled with candlelight as guests took their seats.
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Ahead of the concert, guests were entertained by young musicians
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supported by Future Talent, the charity co founded by the
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late Duchess of Kent to widen access to music education.
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Eighteen year old trumpeter Kris Wood, now at the Royal
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Academy of Music, said it was awesome to take part,
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while her sister Eliza, aged thirteen, added I never thought
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I'd be able to play there in front of so
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many important people. A performance by the Cornish group Fishermen's
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Friends took place the Nativity scene, followed by contributions from
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Katie Mellure singing White Christmas, Dan Smith with Oh Holy Night,
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zach Abel performing Silent Night, and the Westminster Abbey Choristers
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leading Hark the Herald Angels sing. The audience included carers,
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charity representatives, young award winners such as nine year old
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Sophia Turner and d DA veteran Jack Mortimer aged one
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hundred and two. As guests departed into the December chill
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hot chocolate was offered outside the abbey. No word yet
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about the secret after party. The service will be broadcast
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on ATV one on Christmas Eve. More palacing just a moment.
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In The Express, Carol Malone writes, Megan Michael is in
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a bit of a bind. She's been relentlessly flogging her
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Netflix Christmas special, in which he talks about the importance
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of family at Christmas. She waxes lyrical about how magical
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it all is for the kids, and how how determined
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she is to make it special for Archie and Lillabet
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with handmade crackers and personalized advent calendars. She rambles on
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endlessly about warmth and love and friendship and family. And
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while we're all watching this fantastical nonsense, her estranged father,
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Thomas Mirkle, is desperately ill in a hospital in the
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Philippines where there's a real danger he might die. Thomas's
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latest health blow couldn't have come at a worse time
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for Megan, because she needs her warm and cozy Christmas
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special to work, as this second series of With Love
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Megan didn't even make Netflix's Top ten shows. And if
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she doesn't go and see her dad and he dies.
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It will make everything she's ever said about love and
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family look like a big fat lie. How can she
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continue to make a career based on love and compassion
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when she hasn't shown a jot of either to her
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poor dad? But more important than her career, Megan will
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come to learn that people who refuse to let go
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of anger or grudges, who cut family out of their lives,
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who are unable to show forgiveness or understanding, will in
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the end pay a bigger price than the person they're
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trying to punish, because that sort of vengefulness eats away
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at the soul, It damages hearts and minds, and poisons
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how you treat everyone around you. Similarly, Hanisha Sethi in
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the Express Rights. I'm sure Megan and her team had
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originally planned to continue promoting the show with various posts online.
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But when a public figure continues with glossy marketing plans
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at such times, it can look like they prioritize career
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and image over empathy and family loyalty. Prince Harry addressed
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more than two hundred business leaders at a networking event
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in la on Friday, delivering a speech and mixed humor
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with reflections on the transatlantic relationship. The Duke made no
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mentions of reports concerning his father in law. Speaking of
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Lord Fellows honored at the event, he joked people sometimes
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ask if growing up with the royal family was a
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bit like Julian's Downton Abbey. Yeah, but only one of
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those worlds is filled with drama, intrigue, elaborate dinners, marriages
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to Americans, and the other is a TV show. The
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Duke appeared at the British American Business Council's annual Christmas
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Lunch at the Fairmont Mirama Hotel in Santa Monica, an
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event designed to highlight British business interests in the United States.
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As the World Cup drawer was taking place in Washington,
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he turned to football to continue the humor. Next year,
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we are all welcoming many more fellow Brits from across
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the pond, provided they behave and that they make it
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through customs past ice. The World Cup is coming to
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the US. Both England and Scotland have qualified. It's a
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Christmas miracle. He noted that Wales and Northern Ireland could
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still reach the tournament and wouldn't that be something for
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the great American brewers of Budweiser, Coors and Samuel Adams
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to celebrate, He said, the British are coming hungry for victory,
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and they're thirsty back in the UK. We've recently found
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out that pubs might stay open till one am. What
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could possibly go wrong? Shifting to a more serious tow,
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the Duke said the US UK partnership was deeply personal
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to me, and added the special relationship is not just
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a diplomatic phrase, It's real. He continued, Being British isn't
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about where you physically stand, but what you stand for.
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Reflecting on the approaching two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
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American independence, he said, truly, this anniversary is a chance
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to reflect on how far our relationship has come from
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historic tensions to one of the closest partnerships anywhere in
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the world, and back to historic tensions just like that.
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That partnership is deeply personal to me, not only because
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my family and my life are here today, but because
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of the extraordinary American servicemen and women I've had the
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honor of serving alongside in Afghanistan. Our two nations bond
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rests on centuries of friendship shared values, innovation and mutual prosperity,
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and we have an update on the hot equerries. Royal
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watchers were quick to express their enthusiasm after the King
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and Queen's equerries Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Thompson, also known as
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Lieutenant Colonel I Candy formerly Major I Candy before being promoted,
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and Major Oli Plunkett, appeared together during the first day
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of the German state visit. The two men were seen
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standing signed by sign and sharing a light conversation as
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the ceremony unfolded. Fans took to social media to share
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their reactions, with one commenting simply pull on fire. Another
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wrote lovely photo. They both epitomized dedication to duty. Others
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call the moments just lovely and to light full, while
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when remarked they do you make a lovely sight to
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see and enjoy. Lieutenant Colonel I. Candy now serves with
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the fifth Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Major Oliver
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OLLI Plunkett, an officer in the Rifles of which the
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Queen is Colonel in Chief, has recently stepped down from
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his role as the Queen's equerry after three years a
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position he has held since the King's accession. He will
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be succeeded by the wonderfully named Major Treasure, first name
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Rob and the Habit. If you would like to email
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us our addresses The Palace intrig at gmail dot com.
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Please follow us on Spotify, Apple, or the apple of
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your choice. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and don't
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forget to leave us a nice review if you're enjoying
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the show, No Mirk Francis my thanks to John McDermott
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This Palace Intrigue in good terms