Jan. 19, 2025

Palace Weekly - Meghan Markle's Bad Week in Review

Palace Weekly - Meghan Markle's Bad Week in Review

Our new weekly roundtable Palace Weekly takes a look back at the big events of the week.

A normal episode with Mark Francis went out at 3:05am Eastern, check the feed.

Deep Crown's weekly episode (for subscribers only) was published at 12:05am...

Our new weekly roundtable Palace Weekly takes a look back at the big events of the week.

A normal episode with Mark Francis went out at 3:05am Eastern, check the feed.

Deep Crown's weekly episode (for subscribers only) was published at 12:05am Eastern, check your subsciber feed.

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WEBVTT

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Kalaokashock Media.

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Hello and welcome to Palace Weekly. I'm your host, Mark Francis,

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and every Sunday we are going to take a conversational

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round table approach to all the stories that happened this

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week in Royal news.

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Take it away, Okay, So wow, you guys sent in

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a really interesting mix of stuff. It seems like the

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Royals are constantly in the news, but these sources you

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sent in are giving us a whole new angle.

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Right, We're going.

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To unpack how these royals are handling their public image,

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especially with social media being such a big factor these days.

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Is there even a line between genuine support and just

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like disaster tourism? And of course, how does Megan Markle

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always seem to be well at the center.

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Of it all. It's fascinating really how the navigate this

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it is.

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Let's start with Kate Middleton. Okay, The Palace Intrigue podcast

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talked about her return to the spotlight with a visit

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to the Royal Marsden Hospital.

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Yes, and that's interesting because it wasn't just any visit, No,

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not at all. This is the very same hospital where

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she had cancer treatment.

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You're right, and it just seems so deliberate it does.

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It adds another whole layer of meaning to this visit.

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And what's even more interesting is how open Kate was

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about everything.

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Oh yeah, I mean she didn't try to sugarcoat the

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difficulties of getting back to daily life after going through

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something like that exactly.

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She didn't shy away from it at all.

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No, she talked about the challenges she faced, you know,

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for herself and for families going through similar experiences.

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You know, as a dedicated royal watcher, you, of all people,

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must recognize how significant this is.

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I do. Yah. It's pretty rare actually to hear a

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royal speak so openly about these kinds of personal struggles.

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It's really Yeah, it's not common. It makes you think

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about the monarchy as a whole and how they approach

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these things.

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So did this lead to a more relatable image for them?

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You think maybe? I mean, traditionally they've maintained a very

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stoic and sort of untouchable image. But Kate's willingness to

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just be open about her experience could be paving the

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way for a more humanized approach.

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You know, I see what you're saying, and that.

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Might resonate with people especially nowadays when everyone is embracing

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vulnerability and authenticity.

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Well, speaking of vulnerability, let's move on to Harry and Megan. Okay,

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I mean they've been facing a ton of scrutiny lately,

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especially with their recent involvement in the California wildfire relief efforts.

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That's right, Pallace Intrigue really detailed their approach, like comforting victims,

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distributing supplies, Steph.

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You'd expect everyone to applaud exactly.

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But there was actually quite a mixed reaction. Actress Justine Bateman,

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you know, she went as far as to call them

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disaster tourists.

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Disaster tourists. Wow, it just seems like no matter what

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they do, they face criticism. It does so on one hand,

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you have Bateman saying they're exploiting a tragedy for publicity,

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and then you have the mayor of Pasadena praising them

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for boosting morale.

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That's right, to completely different perspectives.

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How can you reconcile that?

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I think it just boils down to how divided public

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opinion is when it comes to Harry and Megan. It's

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like every single thing they do is seen through these

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completely different lenses.

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So for some it's genuine compassion for others, it's a

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PR stunt exactly. One thing from the podcast really stood

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out to me, though, what that Apparently Harry went out

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of his way to find a doughnut for an evacuee

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who requested one.

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Oh I heard about that.

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It was a small thing, but it seems kind of significant.

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I agree, those small moments, those human interactions often speak volumes. Right,

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This wasn't about getting a good photo, It was just

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about connecting with someone who needed it.

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And then there are reports, unconfirmed though, right, that they

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went a step further and actually opened up their home

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to evacuees.

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I did hear that.

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If that's true, it really shows their commitment.

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It does, but it could also lead to more criticism,

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you know.

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Oh yeah, I.

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Can see that they're kind of stuck, aren't they.

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Yeah, accused of a PR stunter turning away people in need.

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Exactly. It highlights the careful line they have to walk.

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It does. Every single action is going to be scrutinized

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and there's always a risk.

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So how do they reconcile that?

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That's the question. How do they balance their desire to

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help with you know, managing how the public sees them.

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Okay, So this brings us to Tessa Dunlop's article right

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in The Independent. Why is Megan Markle so bad at

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being good?

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Yes? Very provocative.

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It seems like no matter what she does, she just

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faces intense scrutiny she does. Is that fair or are

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we seeing a double standard here?

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It's a good question. Dumb Lup's right. Megan seems to

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trigger these really strong reactions, whether she's speaking out or

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staying silent. Yeah, it's like she's damned if she does,

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damned if she doesn't.

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And even her involvement with the wildfires is seen as

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calculated by some. Yeah, this brings up those unique challenges

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she faces, it does.

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Is it sexism or a clash of cultures something else?

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We definitely need to unpack all of that.

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I think to really understand it, you have to look

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beyond just the surface. What I mean, Well, we need

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to consider historical context, media narratives, societal biases.

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Okay, so we're seeing a theme emerge here.

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We are both Kate and Meghan are trying to well

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find their way, but they're under this intense spotlight.

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That's true, and let's.

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Not forget Harry and Meghan's very public critique of Meta

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oh Right.

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That statement condemning their decision to abandon fact checking was powerful.

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Very powerful. They called them out directly said they were

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a prioritizing profit over people's safety.

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And they went on to talk about online safety and

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free speech.

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They did they're concerned about the potential increase in abuse

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and hate speech.

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The timing of that statement is interesting, though, isn't it.

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It came out just weeks after Meghan reactivated her Instagram.

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Oh right with comments turned off though.

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Yeah, so it shows this dilemma facing right. They want

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to engage, but how do you do that and protect

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yourself at the same time.

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That's such a relevant question for everyone these days.

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It is how do we balance the desire to connect

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with the need for self preservation when there's so much

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negativity online exactly, But the fact that they're using their

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platform to talk about this, it's pretty significant.

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I agree. They're not shying away from the conversation, even though.

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They're just drawing more attention and criticism to themselves.

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So we've got Kate dealing with being a royal but

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also being more open about her personal life, and then

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we have Harry and Meghan battling online negativity but trying

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to make a positive impact.

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That's right. It's a lot to take in, it is,

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and we're just getting started. Oh there's more, there is.

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We still need to talk about the conflicting advice that's

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out there for Megan. Okay, like should she lean into

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being a royal or try to be more relatable?

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That's such a core question about her public image.

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It is, how does she define herself? This seems like

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a good place to pause and really delve into all

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of that.

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Okay, sounds good when we come back. Okay, so we're back,

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and I'm really interested to dig into this. It seems

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like there are so many opinions about which path Meghan

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should take, you know, should she embrace being a royal

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or try to be more relatable?

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Right, Like we were saying before the break, it seems

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like they are very strong opinions on both sides.

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Exactly so pr expert Edward korm James. He was quoted

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in the Express saying.

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Oh, yeah, I saw that.

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He thinks Meghan's caught between two worlds, trying to be

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every woman and a duchess at the same time.

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It's a tough spot to be in, and his take.

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Is that she needs to just pick one path and

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stick with it.

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It makes sense, you know, having a clear image.

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So she wants to be seen as aspirational. Korm James

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thinks that she should lean all the way into the

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whole royal thing.

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The glamour, the exclusivity, right.

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No, exactly like own the fact that she's out of touch.

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Yeah, flip that you use it for good.

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But can you really control how people see you like that?

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That's the question, isn't it. Especially with the media and everything.

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So much is shaped by forces outside of your control.

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Absolutely.

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But then there's this anonymous insider also in the Express,

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claiming that Megan sees her Netflix show as a chance

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to prove everyone wrong.

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Ah, the revenge narrative.

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Yeah, that's how they're framing it, which is kind of intense.

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It does make it sound like it's more about getting

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back at her critics than you know, carefully creating a

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specific image.

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So less about conforming to expectations and more about like,

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here's who I am, deal with.

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It exactly, showcasing her talent, silencing the doubters.

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So it's embraced the royal mystique versus show them what

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you're made.

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Of, two very different paths.

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As someone who follows all of this, which approach do

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you think will actually work?

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Honestly, that's tough to say. Depends what Megan's goal is, right.

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So if she wants to be accepted by those like

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die hard or royalists.

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Then embracing her lineage using that for good, that might

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be the way to go.

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But if she's trying to connect with a wider audience.

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And challenge the norms, then maybe.

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Showing her own individuality her talent would be better to be.

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It's like she's trying to appeal to two different groups.

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Right, those who love the whole traditional image and.

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Those who want something more modern, relatable.

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And don't forget, Harry and Meghan aren't even officially working

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royals anymore.

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Which adds a whole other layer to this.

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It does. They're building their own path, but the attention

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hasn't gone away.

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It's like uncharted territory, totally no.

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Longer bound by the rules, but also no institutional support.

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A tightrope walk, you know. Thinking back to that meta statement.

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Such a bold move.

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It really started conversation.

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It shows how willing they are to use their platform,

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even if it means taking on these huge companies.

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And risking even more criticism.

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But they clearly care about these issues, which.

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Brings us back to that balance.

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You know, how do they control their story while also

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wanting to make a difference.

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That's a question for everyone these days, not just royals.

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It is wanting privacy but also wanting to have an impact.

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So what's the answer.

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There isn't an easy one, but the fact that they're

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even talking about this is a big deal.

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Wow, We've covered so much already.

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We have royal visits, wildfires, online stuff and all this pr.

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Advice and this is just the beginning.

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This is just scratching the surface.

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Really, there's more.

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Oh, there's always more when it comes to the Royals. Yeah,

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but I think what we've seen here really shows how

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complicated their image is in today's world, you know, balancing

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tradition with what people expect today, using your platform without

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becoming a target. These are questions everyone's dealing with, especially

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Harry and Meghan.

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And it makes you think about what will happen.

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Next, Right, will they be able to navigate all of

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this and actually achieve what they want to do or will.

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They keep running into these same obstacles.

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It's hard to tell, but it's going to be fascinating

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to see.

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I agree. It feels like everything they do makes headlines

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and people just can't get enough.

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Yeah, the fascination's not going away anytime soon.

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It's interesting, you know, seeing how Kate and Meghan handle

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the spotlight so differently.

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Right, almost like they represent two different approaches to this

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whole royal life thing.

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Yeah, it's like two totally different ways of handling being

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in the public eye, and.

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That difference is reflected in how people see them, you know,

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the public, the media.

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So Kate she gets all this praise for being so

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elegant and composed, right.

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While Megan is always being analyzed for speaking her mind

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or breaking with tradition.

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It's almost like they represent two different ideas of what

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a modern royal even is. I see that Kate she's

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the continuation of tradition.

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And Megan she's all about change, challenging the status quo.

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And that clash you know, between old and new. That's

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why we're also fascinated.

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Right, It's a good point. They're both interesting on their own, Yeah,

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but put them together and it's like this whole other level.

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It makes you think about the monarchy as a whole, like,

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what's its future?

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Big question? Right?

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Can it change with the times and stay relevant or

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is it just going to become more and more out

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of touch with people.

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It's a challenge for sure.

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They've survived for so long by adapting, but the twenty

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first century is a whole different.

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Ballgame totally, with social media and everything.

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Yeah, and those changing cultural norms you mentioned before.

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Exactly, it's not just about the institution itself, it's about

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the people who represent it.

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Like we said, Kate and Meghan, their choices have such

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a huge impact on how people see the whole thing.

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Right, They're not just figureheads anymore. They're real people with

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real lives, you know.

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And those lives are becoming part of the story of

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the monarchy.

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Absolutely, it's all intertwined.

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So as we wrap up this whole royal deep dive,

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what does it all mean for everyone listening?

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Well, besides being really interesting to follow, right, I think

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it shows us how power, image and perception all work

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in this digital age.

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We see how these public figures deal with social media,

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how their personal lives become public.

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And how these traditional institutions are trying to stay relevant

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in a world that's constantly changing.

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It's a story that's still being written and we're all

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part of it.

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And like we've been saying, there's no easy answers.

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No roadmap for how to balance everything, how to.

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Use your platform, how to control what people say about you.

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So we'll leave you with this. Okay, if you could

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advise Megan Markle, what would you tell her? Hmm interesting,

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embrace the royal saying, be relatable and authentic, or go

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in a completely different direction.

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That's the question, isn't it. And there's no right or

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wrong answer.

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No, but it's something to think about as we keep

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watching everything unfold.

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Thank you, and that is it for this edition of

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Palace Weekly. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple or the

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app of your choice, and you can now get the

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show over on YouTube. Just become a subscriber over there

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to the show. I'm Mark Frants. My thanks to John McDermott.

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This is Palace Weekly. Good terms.