Oct. 25, 2025

Prince Andrew Fallout: Opinion Blitz, Abu Dhabi Palace Claims—Plus Austen Treasures at Windsor

Show Notes
Transcript

Columnists and correspondents weigh in on what Andrew’s loss of styles really changes—and what it doesn’t—amid reports of a long-standing Abu Dhabi residence and a Royal Lodge lease that runs to 2078. Also today: Pride and Prejudice and Emma editions with deep royal ties go on public display at Windsor Castle in a limited run.

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Calarogu Shark Media.

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Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue, Iam your host Mark Francis.

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In The Mirror, Kevin McGuire writes, from day one, the

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monarchy has put its own interests first, second and third

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by covering for Jeffrey Epstein's body, every forced move designed

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to protect the institution rather than serve the country. It

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was stomach churning that the late Queen coughed up part

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most of all of the twelve million pounds paid by

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her second son and child to keep out of court

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a sex abuse case brought by Missus Geoffrey, as was

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her subsequently attempting to rehabilitate Andrew by having him very

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publicly escort her to a memorial service for husband Philip Grace.

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Andrew was hardly banished by Big Brother Charles when the

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King invited him to walk to church at Sandringham with

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the royal family on Christmas Day in twenty twenty two

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and twenty three, and he didn't instruct the slime ball

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to stay at the back of last month's Westminster Cathedral

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funeral for the Duchess of Kent and for the BBC

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Sean Coughlin wonders if Andrew giving up his titles even matters,

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Coughlin writes, whatever the Palace hopes, the headlines are unlikely

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to stop. We're unlikely to see Prince Andrew at a

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royal public event now for at least six months, and

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then maybe only once or twice a year. Banned from

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Royal Christmas celebrations at Sandringham, he won't be on the

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annual church walk. It could be April twenty twenty six

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at the Eastern Church service before he reappears on such

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a family occasion, maybe longer. But when he resurfaces, how

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much will his life have really changed Despite the drama

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of the loss of his titles and honors. On a

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day to day basis, he's still a prince, and he's

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still living in a mansion, and Windsor Royal Lodge has

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got a lease until twenty seventy eight, so if he

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leaves it will be his own choice. Living with him

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still will be his ex wife, who was now also

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an ex duchess. They've gone back to the position when

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they first met. Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew. He can

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still spend his days watching aviation videos or TV shows.

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His family life with his daughters, who are still princesses,

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can continue unchanged. His statement about not using his titles

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more or less a resignation letter didn't have any flicker

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of remorse, continuing to assert his sense of duty and honor,

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so no change there. Instead, he showed no sense of regret.

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A royal insider asked about Andrew's chances of a dignified

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return to public life, simply said, to me, the grand

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old Duke of York, he gave twelve million quid to

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someone he never met for something he never did. Prince

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Andrew reportedly maintains a fully staffed palace in Abu Dharby

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said to have been gifted to him by the United

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Arab Emirates ruling family. According to royal biographer Andrew Lowney

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and other sources, the Abu Dhabi residence was a personal

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gift from the House of Nayan, the UA's royal family.

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It is understood Andrew has had access to the property

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for more than two decades. However, it said that the

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Duke now finds the palace too quiet, and that his

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ex wife, Sarah Ferguson, doesn't like the heat. The Times

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points out nothing has really changed for Andrew, who, according

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to visitors to Royal Lodge, spends much of his time

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playing video games. He is still technically a duke. Only

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an act of Parliament would strip him of that title.

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As the comedian Manya Chihwahwa said, a privileged man becomes

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slightly less privileged. Could Elizabeth have nipped this in the

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butt if she had been firmer six years ago and

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stripped him of all his titles in twenty nineteen. Perhaps

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one of her courtiers says she couldn't bring herself to

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do it. It is very hard for a mother to

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humiliate her son, far easier for a brother to do it.

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That story is as old as the Bible. The next

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monarch will be more ruthless. Buckingham Palace says the Prince

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of Wales was consulted on the decision, but it is

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understood that he is not satisfied with the outcome and

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knows the Andrew problem will be in his intray at

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some point when William is king. Andrew will be banned

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from all elements of royal life. He will be excluded

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from public and private royal events, including the coronation, and

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banned from most state occasions. In the Sun, Rob Little writes,

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where does all this leave the royal family and the King,

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who is still undergoing his weekly cancer treatments. It has

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been a terrible century for the Windsors so far. Andrew

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has been a spectacularly awful side show, of course, but

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the family has also been seriously damaged by Prince Harry

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and his ghastly missus Meghan, dissing the royal at every

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opportunity they get, making stupid, woke statements to anyone who

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will listen, whining in documentaries which nobody in their right

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minds would pay to watch. You look at this parade

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of privileged thick as Mince Lincoln poops, and wonder if

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we should have a royal family at all. It does

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seem a bit anachronistic in this day and age, unelected

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and unaccountable, none of them except maybe Princess Anne, particularly Bright,

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living this gilded lifestyle through hereditary privilege. The truth is,

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King Charles and even more so before him, Queen Elizabeth,

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were able to charm and flatter foreign heads of state,

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and that sort of soft power matters. Despite the idiotic

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Andrew and the awful Harry and Meghan, the Royal family

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is still a considerable asset to our country. It's one

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of the reasons so many foreign tourists visit London every

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year to take in the pomp and splendor from the

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bygone age. It is hard to defend constitutionally, but it

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works practically. It seems to be in fairly capable hands

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right now, although I'd prefer it if Anne was on

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the throne. King Charles has been a dextrous and dutiful king.

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In Prince William, the Prince of Wales, we have a

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success of lined up who has even less patience with

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the like of Andrew and Harry than does his dad.

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One day, Wills will make a fine king. He's not

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a genius, but you don't need to be a genius

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to be king, just to do your duty and put

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the country first. More palance, just a moment. By the way,

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It's the last few days of Halloween and Callaogoshark Media.

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The people behind this podcast to have a couple of

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great Halloween shows and channels out there. Check out Ghost

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years and there's hundreds of ghost stories for all your

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Halloween needs. And there's a new show every day through

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called Halloween pop Up and it's a combination of all

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the stories you can get from Kala Rugashark Media, murder mysteries, trivia, music,

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ghost stories. All of those are there under one umbrella.

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Check that one out Halloween Pop Up Channel for all

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your ghoulish fun. Two treasured Jane Austen volumes with deep

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royal connections are set to go on public display at Windsor.

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Among the highlights is the very copy of Pride and

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Prejudice that Prince Albert once read aloud to Queen Victoria

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as she recovered from measles in eighteen fifty three, an

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event she later recorded in her personal journal. Also on

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view will be George, the fourth specially bound edition of Emma,

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personally dedicated by Austin to then Prince Regent. The author

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inscribed the front page to His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent.

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This work is, by his Royal Highness's permission, most respectfully

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dedicated by His Royal Highness's dutiful and obedient, humble servant,

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the author. Both books will be displayed in the Queen's

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drawing Room once one of Windsor Castle's most important reception

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spaces today through Monday, and again from October thirtieth through

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November two. George the Fourth, a noted admirer of novels,

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kept Austin's works in each of his residences, and first

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received the dedicated Emma in eighteen fifteen after granting Austin

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a private tour of his London home, Carlton House. A

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second copy of Pride and Prejudice, thought to have once

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belonged to the castle's servants library before entering the Royal Library,

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will also feature in the exhibition part of celebrations marking

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the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Austin's birth. Published

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anonymously in eighteen thirteen, Pride and Prejudice sold out its

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first edition within a year and remains one of the

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most beloved novels in the English language. And there you

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have it if you like to email us our addresses

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the Palace intricat gmail dot com. By the way, if

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you're ever having any audio issues or subscription issues, or

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you hear things that kind of odd in the feed

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you want to bring to our attention, you can always

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email me directly at my at Kalaroga dot com. That's

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c A l O r O g A dot com

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and I will happily reply to every one of your emails.

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So if you hear something odd, something out of place,

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so you're having a problem, just give me a buzz.

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Don't forget to follow us on Facebook or Instagram. You

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can find us all on the social hubs. I'm Mark

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Francis My Thanks to John McDermott. This balance intrigue in

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good terms.

Prince Andrew Fallout: Opinion Blitz, Abu Dhabi Palace Claims—Plus Austen Treasures at Windsor

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