Meghan Markle's Red Dress - was it THAT horrible?

0:00 Ah Caloroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome through Pallace Intrigue. I have your host work Francis. Columnist Liz Jones really didn't like Megan's red dress and the male. Jones writes, I tried, I really did. I'd invested so much in our relationship years. Yes, I'd overlooked countless red flags. I'm loyal. After all, She's a woman someone I saw is self made, outspoken, a little broken, put upon, ridiculed and bullied by social and mainstream media. But now I cannot overlook that red dress. It was Megan's appearance on the red carpet and the Children's Hospital gala in Los Angeles this weekend that finally caused the scales to fall from my eyes. Yes, I suddenly found myself cringing with secondhand embarrassment when I saw those pictures.

0:57 And once you have that feeling, you can't go back. I'm sorry to say that ill fitting dress. You didn't look like a regal royal. You looked diminished. That's when I realized that what you now represent is so small as well. Meghan has gone from duchess to deal list. She hasn't grown in stature over her years in the public eyes, she has shrunk, as though she'd been put through a hot wash. Only her eyebrows have grown. I know I'm not alone and seeing Megan now for the rather washed up Hollywood celebrity she hears. Dear God, even that bastion of uncritical, boring American wholesomeness in Style magazine just called Megan a jam entrepreneur for an event dedicated to helping children. The dress code should have been demure, not look at me. The red dress and her desperate grinning recalled her deal or No Deal error when she was the briefcase girl on the TV quiz show. I kept thinking, where's the briefcase? Plus the grabbing hold of other attendees and the girning, She's like the unruly loud friend who turns up at your hand thinking it's all about her, not the bride to be, and ends up falling in the pool. It was all just a bit tacky.

2:08 Ashley Rosita of Mirror Me pr tells The Daily Record the dress is a statement not to be ignored, but combined with the dressed down hair and makeup, it also represents Meghan in a more relaxed frame, alludes to a less formal and more approachable persona, as well as showing Meghan's natural beauty and figure offered best Other Royal watchers were intrigued by Meghan's hair. At her recent solo outing, Megan opted for a more natural beauty look, with minimal makeup, soft glowing skin, and her hairstyled and loose, tussled waves that cascade it over her shoulders. The new hairstyle was a noticeable shift from her usual polished blow dry or chic updouse. Celebrity hairstylist Katie Allen pointed out that Meghan's relaxed waves suggest a softer, more approachable vibe. According to Allan, people often change their look when they're embracing a lifestyle or mindset shift, hinting that this effortless style might reflect a more laid back, relatable side of Megan. The contrast between her usual sleek, composed look and this new relaxed style sparked plenty of buzz. Meghan's choice to keep it natural at such a high profile event was seen by some as a deliberate move, signaling a desire to connect on a more personal level. In the Daily Mail, Allison Bauchov had an interesting analysis of the Dutchess difficult cleanup.

3:27 She explains that the story, published while Harry was in New York on his long planned trip, was in a magazine which is edited by Dan Wakeford. Bouschoff points out that when Wakeford was at People Magazine, there was a similar truth about Megan cover. Beauchoff says that she is told the people who read US Weekly are people who love gossip. It is, after all, the gossip magazine. It is not the same as People Magazine, which tends to be only PR message approved. This is not the place that any celebrity and recent memory has gone to tell this side of the story. Everyone was so surprised to see Meghan's defense come out in US Weekly. Not that we were surprised, she responded, but that it was in what is essentially a tabloid. Considering Harry's vociferous hatred of them.

4:10 From the perspective of the public, this is a big come down for her. Bouschoff continues, the US Weekly story arguably made their PR crisis worse, with insiders incredulous that Megan's highly respected agent Ari Emanuel that WME would have sanctioned such a down market move. A member of the Sussex Teen tells me this week that Meghan remains represented by Emmanuel, but there seems to be some distance between them, as I'm told by the Hollywood Reporter that the magazine had no contact with WME either before or after its article was printed. What may this mean? Tends to suggest that the agency isn't looking after Megan very closely. Indeed, there is a feeling her star is falling and she's not being taken seriously. Many in Hollywood have felt unimpressed by the lack of output from Harry and Meghan's TV production company Archwell following that one hundred million dollar Netflix deal More Palace. In just a moment, as we put the show together today, we came across a note from The Mirror, who had sent an email blast which mentioned Princess Kate is apparently set to appear alongside Prince William and Paul Meskel at the upcoming premiere of Gladiator two of the seventy second Royal Film Performance. The link, however, took us to not such a story, and the news is not appearing anywhere else at the time of this recording.

5:32 Well keep you posted. The Duke of Kent, the royal family's oldest working member, celebrated his eighty ninth birthday. Despite his advancing age, the Duke still carries out royal duties for King Charles, demonstrating an unwavering dedication to service that has defined his life. Born in nineteen thirty five as Prince Edward, the Duke has lived through a dramatic and eventful life, often overshadowed by other senior royals. The cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth I, he has quietly read presented the monarchy for decades, combining his royal duties with a distinguished military career and a long standing role as Grand Master of the Freemasons. The Duke's first brush with public life came early. At just eighteen, he took a solemn vow to serve as his cousin's liege, man of life and limb during the Queen's nineteen fifty three coronation, a promise he upheld until her passing in twenty twenty two.

6:24 He has remained a steadfast figure at royal events ever since, including joining King Charles in a ceremonial role during his coronation this year. Despite being less visible than other royals, the Duke's influence and presence has been steady over the years. He has championed charities such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Stroke Association, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. He also held the prestigious position of President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club for over fifty years, presenting the Wimbledon trophies to champions, until stepping down in twenty twenty one. The Duke's personal life, however, has been marked by both triumphs and tribulations. Married in nineteen sixty one to Katherine Worsley, the daughter of a Yorkshire landowner.

7:06 Their wedding was a grand affair at York Minister but in nineteen seventy seven tragedy struck when their son Patrick was stillborn, a loss that severely impacted the Duchess, leading to a period of deep depression. Though there were reports of the couple being on the verge of splitting, they ultimately stay together and now have three children and ten grandchildren, including Lady Amelia Windsor, once dubbed the world's most beautiful Royal. In nineteen ninety four, the Duchess of Kent made headlines by converting to Roman Catholicism, a significant move within the royal family, though it did not affect Edward's place in the line of succession. His youngest son, however, lost his position due to constraints of the Succession to the Crown Act twenty thirteen. Reminder you can get this Palace Intrigue without commercial interruption. If you're on Apple Podcasts, you can click the banner and try it out free for thirty days.

7:56 If you're on another podcast player, there is a link in the show notes. And we've got merch and all sorts of other fun stuff available to the I'm Mike Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is Pallas Jurgue and good terms.