April 27, 2025

Prince William and Pope Francis, Prince Harry and John Travolta PLUS Virginia Giuffre tragedy

Show Notes
Transcript

On a busy very news day, the two princes find themselves with very different calendars.

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Calarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Pallas Intrigue. I

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am your host. Mark Francis, the Prince of Wales, has

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undertaken his most significant duty to date as heir to

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the throne, representing his majesty, King Charles the Third. At

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the funeral of Pope Francis, Prince William stood solemnly alongside

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the British Prime Minister Suki at Starma as they observed

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a moment's silence before the late Pontiff's sial coffin. Dressed

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in a dark blue suit and black tie, the Prince

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made his way through the magnificent surroundings of the Basilica

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before descending into Saint Peter's Square. There he was seen

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shaking hands with a member of the clergy before being

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shown to his seat. William was seated in the third row,

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positioned among the section reserved for world leaders, but found

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himself separated from his fellow European royalty such as King

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Philippe and Queen Leticia of Spain and Queen Mary of Denmark,

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who were situated in the front row alongside US President

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Donald Trump and First Lady Bellania Trump. The seating arrangements

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described as a master plan by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, where

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a delicate exercise in diplomacy. Francis's birth country, Argentina was

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afforded precedents, followed by Italy in recognition of the Pope's

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role as Bishop of Rome. Thereafter, reigning sovereigns were seated

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alphabetically in the French language, followed by heads of state

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and then heads of government and other representatives. As French

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is considered the traditional language of diplomacy, it reshuffled the

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expected order. Thus President Trump found himself among the early

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arrivals due to America's listing, while Ireland's delegation, led by

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President Michael D. Higgins, ranked ahead of the United Kingdom's representatives.

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Cardinal Nichols, who will shortly participate in his first conclave

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to elect a new pope, praised the Vatican's expertise, remarking,

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without a doubt it will be another masterpiece of stage

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men when you consider those state leaders who have high

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opinions of their importance. Some observers queried why Prince William,

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who had not met Pope Francis personally, attended the funeral,

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while Charles, who had met the Holy Father, just twelve

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days before his death did not. However, officials made clear

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that it was consistent with precedent for the heir to

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the throne to represent the sovereign on such occasions. Indeed,

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in two thousand and five, then Prince Charles attended the

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funeral of Pope John Paul the Second on behalf of

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Queen Elizabeth. Kensington Palace confirmed that William's attendance was undertaken

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following advice from the government. Some also question why the

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Princess of Wales was not present. However, even setting aside

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any current personal considerations, President firmly dictates that her absence

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is entirely in keeping with tradition. In twenty twenty three,

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Prince William traveled solo to Kuwait to pay his respects

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following the death of Amer Sheikh nawaf A Lahmad al

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Jabert al Sabah. Similarly, when he was Prince of Wales,

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King Charles attended numerous funerals alone on behalf of Queen Elizabeth,

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including those of John Paul the Second in two thousand

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and five, President Ronald Reagan in two thousand and four,

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King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in twenty fifteen, George H. W.

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Bush in twenty eighteen, and Sultan Kabous Bin sad of

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Ahman in twenty twenty. This marks the first occasion on

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which Prince William has represented the sovereign at an international funeral,

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a notable milestone in his royal duties. Royal expert Emily

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Nash explained why Prince William's attendance was particularly notable. She

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told Hello, it's quite a strange concept to go to

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the funeral someone you've never met before, but I think

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you have to remember that this is a massive diplomatic undertaking.

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It's a sign of our country's respect for the late Pope,

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and it's also about him being at the heart of

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international relations. If you look at the last two papal funerals,

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certainly Pope John Paul the seconds it was the then

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Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, who represented the Queen. The

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Queen never attended any people funerals, so this is really

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a continuation of recent tradition. For a full recap of

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Pope France's funeral and a daily brief on the selection

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of the new Pope, please check out our sister podcast,

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White Smoke, The Path to a new Pope. It's available

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wherever you get your podcasts. Very topical. There are daily

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editions following the news daily at the Vatican along with

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the regular weekly series. And it's from your family here

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at Callooga Shark Media, so check it out, White Smoke.

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While his brother solemnly represented the Crown at the funeral,

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Prince Harry was seen attending a rather different affair, the

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glamorous Living Legends of Aviation Awards in Beverly Hills. The

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Duke of Sussex cut a dashing figure as he arrived

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at the prestigious event, dressed in a classic black tuxedo

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paired with matching black bow tie. Appearing relaxed and in

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excellent spirits, Prince Harry was seen smiling broadly as he

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made his way into the venue. Interestingly, Megan was not

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with the relaxed appearing Harry. During his remarks, Harry reflected

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on the extraor courage displayed by Los Angeles area first responders, saying,

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there are moments in life that reveal a great deal

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about who we are, not just as individuals, but as

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a people. Moments that test our courage, compassion, and our

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commitment to one another and time and again. What I've seen,

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what the world sees, is that first responders rise to

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that challenge every single time, yet we rarely get the

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chance to thank them. This community, bound and energized by

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service to others, shows up for us wherever we are,

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and whenever they're needed, they put their lives on hold

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for as long as we need them. Tonight we celebrate

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the aviation legends, the kind forged in smoke, shaped by teamwork,

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and defined by the courage to fly into danger when

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others are told to flee. This community doesn't ask for

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attention or recognition, they don't ask for praise. But tonight

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we're going to give it to them regardless, because in

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my experience, it's the people who don't expect it or

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ask for it that need and appreciate it the most.

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He went on to praise the aviation crews who flew

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into danger to save lives, adding in a world full

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of noise, there are still quiet heroes among us, steady, capable,

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and brave. Harry also lightened the tone with a quip saying,

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I feel like I picked the short straw, not from

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being up here, but someone had to host a bunch

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of pilots and Firefighters, which was met with laughter from

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the audience. The evening was hosted by actor John Travolta,

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with whom Harry shares a special connection dating back to

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Travolter's famous dance with Princess Diana at the White House

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in nineteen eighty five. Later in the evening, he was

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spotted departing the Beverly Hilton and stepping into a sleek

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black range rover. Harry's appearance came amid a difficult backdrop

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the news of Virginia Jeffrey's tragic death in Australia, which

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broke as the event unfolded. In a statement, her heartbroken

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relatives said, it is with utterly broken hearts that we

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announced that Virginia passed away last night at her farm

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in Western Australia. She lost her life to suicide after

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being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

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They added, Virginia was a fierce warrior fight against sexual

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abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted

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so many survivors. In the end, the total abuse is

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so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle

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its weight. Virginia formerly known as Virginia Roberts, was forty

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one years old and leaves behind three children. Her brother,

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Danny Wilson paid tribute to her determination, saying she pushed

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so hard to snuff the evil out of the world.

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Her biggest push was, if I don't do this, nobody's

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going to do it. She was in real physical pain,

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suffered from renal failure, but I think that mental pain

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was worse. Virginia became a central figure in the campaign

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for justice against Epstein and his network of enablers. She

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accused Epstein's associate Glain Maxwell and Epstein himself of trafficking

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her as a teenager, and alleged that she was sexually

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abused by Prince Andrew, Duke of York, allegations that Duke

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has consistently and strongly denied. Prince Andrew addressed his association

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with Epstein in twenty nineteen, saying it has become clear

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to me over the last few days that the circumstances

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relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become

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a major disruption to my family's work and the valuable

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work going on in the many organizations and charities that

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I am proud to support. Therefore, I have asked her

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majesty if I may step back from public duties for

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the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission. I

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continued to unequivocally regret my ill judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.

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In recent months, Virginia has shared on social media that

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she had been in a severe car accident after her

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vehicle was struck by a school bus traveling at high speed,

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leaving her with critical injuries, including kidney failure. In her

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final messages, she revealed that doctors had told her she

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had only days to live. As news of the tragedy

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broke on Saturday, Lady Victoria Harvey, who briefly dated Prince

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Andrew in nineteen ninety nine, shared a link to an

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article about Jeoffrey's death and commented, when lies catch up

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with you, there's no way out. Her remark prompted immediate

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and widespread backlash. Online critics branded her post, with one

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user stating Wow, she's a cold hearted woman, and another

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declaring she's no lady. Facing mounting our rage, Lady Victoria

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returned two Instagram within two hours to issue a follow

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up statement. She wrote, I have taken the decision to

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pause my posts on the topic of Virginia Jeffrey at

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this time. Irrespective of circumstances, Suicide in anyone, at any

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time is tragic, and in a young woman who has

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children even more. Palace intrigue will be a rare back.

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A rare opportunity has arisen for those with a flair

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for organization and a touch of regal polish. Buckingham Palace

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is hiring. The palace, renowned for its grandeur and the

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glittering events held within its storied walls, is seeking an

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advance administrator to join the Royal Household team, and the

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role comes with more than a few royal perks listed

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on the official Royal Household website. The position offers a

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whopping salary of twenty eight thousand pounds a rough guess

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set's about thirty five thousand U S. Dollars, and places

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the successful candidate at the very heart of royal event planning,

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from state banquets to private receptions hosted by their Majesties

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the King and Queen. The administrator will support the events

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team in orchestrating both the official and the intimate. Key

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responsibilities include managing room bookings, fielding event queries, assembling and

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verifying guest lists, drafting invitations, and preparing admittance cards and

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NAE badgers. It's a sort of work that keeps a

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palace running smoothly, ensuring that whether it's a diplomatic reception

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or a royal garden party, every detail is befitting the crown.

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For twenty eight thousand pounds a year, the Palace is

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seeking someone who is organized, confident in communication, and possesses

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both IT proficiency and customer service experience. The sort of

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individual who can balance as discretion with precision and charm

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twenty eight thousand pounds. As for the perks, they are

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as polished as the chandeliers in the ballroom. Employees receive

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a generous holiday package starting at twenty five days, a

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non contribute pension and complementary on site lunch I deal

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for those days when one is between writing place cards

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and managing RSVPs. Staff wils who enjoy complementary admission to

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Royal attractions, exclusive discounts at Royal Collection trust shops and

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additional leave options, plus a salary of twenty eight thousand

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pounds per year. Applications closed today, so get cracking, and

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there you have it plenty. Email us addresses the palasintric

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at gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple,

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or the app of your choice of Labre's a nice

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review if you're enjoying the show and Francis my thanks

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to John McDermott. This is Palace intrigue and good times.

Prince William and Pope Francis, Prince Harry and John Travolta PLUS Virginia Giuffre tragedy

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