Operation Distract: Rain, Daffodils and damage control as Kate and William walk in the rain

0:00 Ah Calorougus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Pallas Intrigue. I am your host, Mark Francis. Operation Distract the Media got good reviews as William and Kate made a rainy visit to mid Wales ahead of Saint David's Day. Kate accepted an impromptu challenge from young fans during a rain soaked walk about joining two boys for a quick game of rock paper scissors in the downpour. Let's do it again, rock paper says as shoot, oh, she said, laughing as one child's paper beat her rock. A second round saw her lose again, this time to rock, prompting smiles all the round. The media were quite distracted as the couple were greeted by cheering crowds waving Welsh flags and holding daffodils.

0:48 Despite heavy rain, both wore daffodils pinned to their lapels for the visit. In Newtown, Kate met members of Mum's Matter, a perinatal support service for women experiencing mental health difficulties linked to early motherhood. Among them was Ella Hopkins, who began volunteering after fleeing domestic violence with her young son. Hopkins described the princess as absolutely incredible, adding she got really invested and she was asking lots of questions. You could tell she thought it was an important thing to be focusing on. She definitely said that it's something that she felt passionate about parents being able to be committed and devoted through their own stability. Earlier in the day, the Prince and Princess visited the Hanging Gardens in Lanardlow's, a community project centered on resilience and creativity. They ordered hot drinks at a local cafe, met nursery children holding handmade signs, and watched school children perform Welsh songs in the center's arts space. William, a longtime Aston Villa supporter, spotted children holding up a club scarf and joked, that's a great way to get my attention. The couple also toured local producers stalls with William Sampling's cider, and visited a kitchen preparing traditional call and Welsh cakes for St.

2:02 David's date celebrations. After briefly departing, they returned to spend around twenty five minutes in the rain reading well wishes with Kaefron offering hugs and high fives while William posed for selfies. In Newtown, they visited Oriol Davies Gallery to learn about a community arts initiative supporting children and young people's well being. The project, known as Hand in Hand, brings together local families, including those from Syrian and Afghan refugee backgrounds, for creative workshops. Kate said, it's amazing what happens here. Let's be such a lovely way to make friends and share stories. During the walk about, Kate was asked by a man in the crowd to sign an autograph. Smiling, she perlightly declined, saying I can't sign things. I'm so sorry.

2:44 I can shake your hand, though the pair shared a brief hug before she added nice to meet you and continued greeting well wishes. She later returned to take a photograph with what appeared to be the man's young daughter. Members of the royal family traditionally do not sign autograph due to concerns that signatures could be copied or used for forgery. There have been rare exceptions. King Charles once signed a piece of paper for a victim of the Cornwall floods in twenty ten, writing Charles twenty ten, but the general practice is to decline such requests. Royal protocol has also historically discouraged selfies with members of the public, though that custom has softened in recent years. The media coverage was, of course glowing. In the Telegraph, Hannafiness writes, in one of the most difficult months for the monarchy in living memory, and in the pouring rain, the Prince and Princess of Wales could have chosen to hide away, they did not no less than seven walkabouts, most of them imprompt You turned into armfuls of daffodil beauquets in the reassurance from one well wisher that the monarchy is safe in your hands. Prince William escorted a rain soaked toddler to see his wife, whom the little boy had been waiting for. Catherine stopped for a game of rock paper scissors with school children. There were moments of sympathy and solidarity. As they got into their car to go to Newtown, it became apparent that many hundreds more people had been waiting in the rain to see them. Along a main road. Oh, I really hope they stop. They children are all soaking, said one woman watching the small convoys low down on the doors open. Oh they are

4:15 Oh my goodness, this is just wonderful went on. Look, I told William, with all that's going on at the moment, there could be a swell against them. But when you see the time he's willing to spend with people, I think it's lovely to see the monarchy save in your hands, sir. According to excerpts from Russell Meyer's book William and Catherine The Intimate Inside Story, Unnamed Palace insiders alleged that Harry and Meghan created a difficult working environment after their twenty eighteen wedding. One source claimed William and Catherine had assembled a happy team and cultivated a good working environment that was being actively destroyed on a daily basis. People were being ground down by both Megan and Harry. The book suggests Harry's disagreement with William the shoving incident centered on William's concerns about how Meghan was interacting with Pallas staff.

5:03 While sources close to William would not confirm the exact wording allegedly used, one insider said describing Meghan as difficult, rude, or abrasive would have been a fair assessment if he did. Another sources quoted as saying it wasn't peddling a tabloid narrative to stick up the staff, who were deeply unhappy to the point of walking away or having their mental health being affected. The book also alleges that the atmosphere between the couples became pretty toxic, with one insider claiming Meghan was being bullish. Kate found her abrasive more a palace in just a Moment. Mike Tyndall has drawn criticism after wearing a red make England Great Again cap during a recent recording of his podcast, The Good, The Bad and the Rugby. The cap, a clear play on President Donald Trump's make America Great Again slogan's, did not go over well. The gesture followed England's heavy Six Nations defeats to Ireland and Scotland and appeared to be intense ended as tongue in cheek commentary on the team's form. When social media user commented, no, that isn't going to help the royal family. He knows with whom that hats associated and what it means. West End star Ruthie Henshall has announced a new memoir, The Show Girl and the Prince, inspired in part by love letters she received from Prince Edward during their relationship in the late eighties and early nineties. Henshall, fifty eight, said she decided to write the book after rediscovering old diaries and correspondents while clearing out her garage.

6:30 She said, I found old diaries which I began writing in the nineteen eighties, and then found all my letters from Prince Edward, and I was struck by how precious this time in my life was. I was on the West End stage, my dream since I was a girl, and she had a love with a man. Very few people even know. If this was someone else's story, I would think they had made it up. So here it is. I looked behind the curtain of a crazy life in musical theater and what happens next when a showgirl falls in love with the Prince. Henshall met Prince Edward in nineteen eight eight while she was appearing in Cats in the West End and he was working in theater production. The relationship continued on an off for several years before they separated in ninety three. Edward later married Sophie Rhys Jones, now the Duchess of Edinburgh. The memoir is expected to recount visits to Buckingham Palace and tea at Windsor with Queen Elizabeth for second. Henshall has previously spoken warmly about the royal family, saying I have nothing but nice things to say about them all. The Queen in particular was lovely.

7:27 Here I was this chorus girl dating her son. It must have been her worst nightmare. Over the years, she has occasionally shared anecdotes about the relationship, including recalling in twenty twenty three, I wasn't nervous because Charles had just made me a couple of Martini's, which is why I ended up singing in front of the Queen. I was feeling no pain because I was three sheets to the wind. It will always be one of my greatest honors. Diana was there, Princess Margaret, the Queen, Mum, Edward and Charles. In twenty twenty, while appearing on I'm a Celebrity and Get Me out of Here, Henshall caused headlines when she revealed she had shared in the bedrooms of Buckingham Palace, I remark. She later said she had not realized was being broadcast, and they have it. If you'd like to email us, I address these the palace intrig at gmail dot com. Please followus on Spotify, Apple, Facebook, Instagram. We're all over the place. I'm Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace intrigue. Good terms.