May 11, 2026

Meghan's checking the stars, and Harry has lost the plot

Show Notes
Transcript

William and Harry are described as being at a standoff, and insiders say there's no calls, no messages, no backchannel. Harry is said to be following Diana's playbook, but sources warn he's missing the one thing that made it work. Meghan, meanwhile, is consulting astrologers before major meetings, quietly rebuilding her Netflix relationship with Ted Sarandos, and may be planning a vow renewal. And Serena Williams' attempt to sell Meghan's chocolates doesn't go entirely to plan.

Get episodes of Palace Intrigue by becommming a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts. Click the button that says uninterrupted listening. Just $5 a month, and that includes many ofther shows on the Caloroga Shark network.

A new season of King William is available now.

Our royal newsletter written by Deep Crown is available for free.

Royal Books:

Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors by Tom Bower

William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story

The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:12.039
Ah Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Injury Game.

2
00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:14.599
Your host Mark Francis, Prince Haran and Meganmichael are not

3
00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:17.839
expecting a quick resolution to the ongoing rift within the

4
00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:21.359
royal family. Sources tell people that communication between Harry and

5
00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:24.559
his father has increased in recent months, although they have

6
00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:27.600
not seen each other since last September. The divide with

7
00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:31.320
Prince William has described as more entrenched. Royal author Robert

8
00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:34.280
Jobson said William is all over the drama. He doesn't

9
00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:36.079
need it, he doesn't want it. He's too busy and

10
00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:39.280
focused on his own family. Biographer Sally Bedell Smith added

11
00:00:39.560 --> 00:00:42.039
there at a standoff. The reporter was in notes at

12
00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:44.840
Harry and Megan's current approach to public life, combining charitable

13
00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:47.679
work with commercial ventures, continues to draw criticism in some

14
00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:51.600
royal circles. Alyssa Anderson said it won't help Harry's case

15
00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:54.240
or promote good relations, and added that what the couple

16
00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:57.560
are doing remains a non negotiable for the future King,

17
00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:01.320
saying he wouldn't countenance any acceptance of it. Those close

18
00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:04.680
to the couple dispute that characterization. One inside had said

19
00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:07.840
they're not reliant on Harry's father or taxpayer funded money.

20
00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:09.760
They pay their own bills and make their own money

21
00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:12.599
while continuing to support a lot of causes that might

22
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:16.040
otherwise go unseen. It enables them to do what they love.

23
00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:19.400
Another source added, it remains very emotional. Harry and Meghan

24
00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:22.040
are both realistic and not approaching it with the expectation

25
00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:25.719
of a quick resolution. It's about taking small, manageable steps

26
00:01:25.719 --> 00:01:29.200
and seeing where things land. This remains very important to Harry,

27
00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:32.959
with Megan supportive. A friend of the couple said Megan

28
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:34.760
lets him lead on all the royal matters, but it

29
00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:37.760
would never put them at odds. They're on the same team.

30
00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:41.079
Megan is said to be attempting to steady her relationship

31
00:01:41.079 --> 00:01:45.000
with Ted Sarandas following recent speculation about tensions between the pair.

32
00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:48.439
According to reports, Megan views the recent public display of

33
00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:51.719
their friendship as a form of vindication after suggestions the

34
00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:55.680
relationship had cooled, particularly following changes to her business arrangements

35
00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:58.920
with the streaming platform. One source claims she believes the

36
00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:03.280
renewed closeness strengthens her position and could shape future collaborations,

37
00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:05.920
especially if she chooses to tell more of her personal

38
00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:10.199
story on screen. I Saw said Netflix doesn't necessarily want

39
00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:12.680
to keep backing her vanity projects, but they do want

40
00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:14.639
to keep her and Harry on board so they can

41
00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:17.680
have first DIBs. When Megan is finally ready to tell

42
00:02:17.719 --> 00:02:20.479
the more nitty gritty side of his story, she knows

43
00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:22.520
that it has megavalue, and even if she's not making

44
00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:25.960
any commitments yet or putting a timeline, it is inevitable

45
00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:27.599
that it will happen, and she's very clear that she

46
00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:29.520
would love to do it with Ted and Nicole when

47
00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:33.159
the time comes. Another source adds, from Megan's point of view,

48
00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:34.960
she's finally in a position where she doesn't have to

49
00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:37.639
play by anyone else's rules or wait her turn anymore.

50
00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:42.000
Gossip columnist Rob Shooter writes astrology is no longer a

51
00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:45.159
passing fascination for Megan Markel. It has become a serious

52
00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:48.199
force in how the Duchess of Sussex now lives, works

53
00:02:48.199 --> 00:02:52.840
and makes decisions. This has moved far beyond reposting zodiac

54
00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:56.680
memes and cosmic affirmations inside to say, Megan now regularly

55
00:02:56.719 --> 00:03:00.759
consults Star Charts, energy readings, and spiritual advice before making

56
00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:04.719
major personal or professional moves increasingly treating astrology as part

57
00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:07.919
of her decision making process. Shooter quotes and Inside are

58
00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:10.879
saying there is no longer casual for Megan. She checks timing,

59
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:14.719
science and energy before most anything important. Astrology has become

60
00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:18.840
part of how she operates. Another source is quoted she

61
00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:21.039
will not take a major meeting until she has checked

62
00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:23.599
the stars. If the energy feels wrong, she delays it.

63
00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:26.439
If the chart looks off, she waits until seriously she

64
00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:30.879
takes it now. In The Independent, Charlotte Cripps observed, whether

65
00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:33.520
Meghan believes in astrology as much as these latest posts

66
00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:36.159
suggest or not, she is using astrology to get the

67
00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:39.319
message out there loud and clear that she's been suffering.

68
00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:41.960
People will accuse her of reinventing herself as a victim,

69
00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:44.360
or perhaps they will believe that she genuinely has been

70
00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:47.120
having a hard time, which, let's face it, as the

71
00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:50.919
world's most controlled person, isn't hard to imagine. Clearly, she

72
00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:53.520
wants the time to turn, and posting such astrology related

73
00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:55.919
content is far more likely to make that happen than

74
00:03:55.960 --> 00:03:58.719
the planets. Who needs Oprah Winfrey when you can spill

75
00:03:58.759 --> 00:04:03.199
the beans online? As a Shooter also Suggess. Harry is

76
00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:05.599
no longer trying to win his way back into Pallas life.

77
00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:09.000
He writes the goal stop chasing the crown, start becoming

78
00:04:09.080 --> 00:04:13.080
the people's prince. William gets the institution. One insider says

79
00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:16.600
Harry wants the audience. Sources say Harry sees a future

80
00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.560
built on global causes, emotional access and high visibility activism,

81
00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:24.800
less pallace, more platform. The model is obvious Diana, Princess

82
00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.560
of Wales. He is absolutely following his mother's playbook. One

83
00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:31.639
source says the problem is is missing what made Diana

84
00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:35.319
work because Diana understood something Harry still does not. Her

85
00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.720
power came from challenging the monarchy, not trying to destroy it.

86
00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:43.279
The couple could be preparing to renew their vows. According

87
00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:45.639
to a report in Radar Online, Megan is exploring ways

88
00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:49.759
to publicly reaffirm their relationship. The report suggests the couple's

89
00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:53.360
attendants at a vow renewal ceremony hosted by Ellen DeGeneres

90
00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:56.399
and Portia de Rossian twenty twenty three is said to

91
00:04:56.439 --> 00:04:59.680
have influenced the idea. The event, which featured a performance

92
00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:02.680
by break Andy Carlyle and was officiated by Chris Jenna

93
00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:05.839
is described as having made an impression on those in attendance.

94
00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.560
Prince Harry and Megan Michael married on May nineteenth, twenty eighteen,

95
00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:12.680
at Saint George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for an eighth

96
00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:16.279
wedding anniversary. Traditional gifts of bronze and pottery symbolized strength

97
00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:19.920
and durability, while modern options include linen and lace for

98
00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:23.839
a softer touch, or perhaps a curated collection of signature

99
00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:27.160
candles priced around sixty four dollars from an online shop

100
00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:34.720
more in just a moment. Harry and Meghan are focused

101
00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:37.120
on maintaining a sense of normality in their home life,

102
00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:40.199
despite ongoing public attention and tensions within the royal family.

103
00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:43.240
One source tells people there's a real warmth and sense

104
00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:46.160
of One source tells people there's a real warmth and

105
00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:49.879
sense of normalcy. Archie and Lilibet are their life. They

106
00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:52.759
are also said to value their independence, with a source

107
00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:55.199
explaining they pay their own bills and make their own

108
00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:57.720
money while continuing to support a lot of causes that

109
00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:01.120
might otherwise go unseen. Those close to them say the

110
00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:04.480
couple are careful about who they allow into their personal lives.

111
00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:07.319
One inside has said they're very careful about who they

112
00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:11.199
allow into their lives. At the same time, friendships remain important,

113
00:06:11.560 --> 00:06:13.800
with a source adding no matter what she has going

114
00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:17.079
on to which makes time for her friends. Despite the

115
00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:19.759
wider pressures surrounding them, The couple are said to focus

116
00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:22.480
on maintaining a positive outlook. One source said they both

117
00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:26.319
try to focus on staying as positive as possible. Another added,

118
00:06:26.439 --> 00:06:29.120
but people forget their human beings, especially Meghan. They wake

119
00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.439
up every day focused on being the best parents they

120
00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:34.120
can be. No matter what comes at them, they pick

121
00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:37.959
themselves up and keep moving forward. Speaking on Sky Newsed,

122
00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:40.680
Australia television host Megan Kelly weighed in on the prospects

123
00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:45.319
floor reconciliation between the couple and Charles and William. Kelly said,

124
00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:47.319
I'd be angry if I was King Charles, but it

125
00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:49.920
doesn't sound like he is angry. All the reports about

126
00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:52.639
him are that he's extremely forgiving of Prince Harry, but

127
00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:55.120
he's such a spoilt brat's son that it has decided

128
00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:57.839
to villainize his own dad and she's in his ear.

129
00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:00.639
I don't know about reconciliation because it doesn't seem like

130
00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:03.439
the Duke and dutches of duplicity or into it. They

131
00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:06.000
are too busy firing more staff and reducing people to

132
00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:08.839
tears out in Montecito. It's not going to get any

133
00:07:08.839 --> 00:07:10.959
better for them when William as sends to the throne.

134
00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:13.720
Those two hate each other now, William and Harry, So

135
00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:15.560
I don't know. I guess those two are super big

136
00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:19.879
on alienating their fathers. In The Express, Jasmine Carrey has

137
00:07:19.879 --> 00:07:24.160
criticized a social media video by Serena Williams promoting products

138
00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:27.279
from Megan's Lifestyle brand. The column focuses on a video

139
00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:30.560
in which Williams showcased a gift package that included candles

140
00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:32.920
and a box of chocolates priced at forty two pounds.

141
00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:36.959
The column focuses on a video in which Williams showcased

142
00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:39.160
a gift package that included candles in a box of

143
00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:42.920
chocolates priced at forty two pounds. Kerry argues the clip

144
00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:45.279
may not have presented the products in the most favorable light,

145
00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:48.920
noting that the chocolates appeared dislodged in the packaging when opened.

146
00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:52.279
In the video, Williams said, anyway, the chocolate was beautiful,

147
00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:54.240
It was delicious. I don't like chocolate, but I have

148
00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:57.519
been killing them so good. The opinion piece also notes

149
00:07:57.560 --> 00:08:00.560
that Williams briefly discussed the candles, which are reported inspired

150
00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:03.319
by Megan's children, but commented that she could not pronounce

151
00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.160
some of the listed ingredients carry offers advice now, of course,

152
00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:09.639
Serena is a busy woman. The video of the products

153
00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:12.160
as she is enjoying them is better than nothing. But

154
00:08:12.279 --> 00:08:14.199
for a best friend, I would have fed the tripod

155
00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:16.120
out with a high quality video camera to try and

156
00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:19.360
get the best angles I could, wouldn't you? And there

157
00:08:19.399 --> 00:08:20.800
you have it. If you'd like to email us W

158
00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:23.720
addresses the Palace Intriguer at gmail dot com, please follows

159
00:08:23.720 --> 00:08:26.759
at Spotify and Apple or your favorite app. I'm Mark

160
00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:29.160
Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue

161
00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:30.480
and good terms

Meghan's checking the stars, and Harry has lost the plot

Listen On

Recent Episodes