Feb. 10, 2026

Prince William Courts Saudi Power Players as Meghan Markle Walks Red Carpet Alone

Show Notes
Transcript

Prince William launches a high-stakes visit to Saudi Arabia at the UK government’s request, holding private talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and positioning himself as a serious diplomatic asset. Back in Los Angeles, Meghan Markle steps out solo at a Hollywood gala amid fresh talk of diverging lives, while Harry stays home and focuses on Invictus and legal battles — underscoring the couple’s increasingly separate paths.

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Kalaruga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I

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

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a three day official visit to Saudi Arabia. Appearing relaxed.

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On arrival, Williams stepped off a Royal air Force aircraft

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onto a ceremonial purple carpet incorporating traditional Sadu weaving. The

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trip marks William's first official visit to the kingdom. From Riard,

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William traveled to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, regarded as

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one of the largest integrated mud brick cities in the world. There,

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he was given a private tour by the country's leader,

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Crown Prince Mohammad in Salman, commonly known as MBS. The

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two princes later held a private audience attended by William's

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private secretary, Ian Patrick, the UK ambassador to Riard, and

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members of the Saudi Crown Princes in a circle. The

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visit is being carried out at the request of the

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UK government, with a focus on reinforcing the bilateral relationship

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between Britain and Saudi Arabia. A diplomatic source said, the

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fact that he's a prince in the future King matters enormously.

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That really counts for them. They both want to make

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this work. They wanted to be a friendship that lasts.

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William is expected to carry out engagements linked to his

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personal interests, including young people, football, conservation, the environment and gaming.

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Asked whether the Aston Villa supporter might mention the club's

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recent win over Saudi owned Newcastle United, one aide said

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it was unlikely, but added I can imagine he'll be

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bringing up Villa's hopes in the Europa League. Megan Michael

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made a red carpet appearance in La on Saturday, attending

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the twenty twenty six fifteen Percent Pledge fundraising gala at

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Paramount Studios in support of her friend Tina Knowles. The

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Duchess of Sussex, arrived wearing a customed white strapless gown

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by Harveston Studio Feature in a black trimmed sweetheart necklon

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and a black shawl that extended into a dramatic train.

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One user wrote on x what a hideously terrible dress.

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It's horribly fitted and makes her look like a bit

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of a linebacker by accentuating her wide shoulders and large

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rib cage. Oh that's all sorts of awful. Attendees observed

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Megan to be in high spirits, smiling and chatting with

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guests from a front table during the evening. The gala

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honored Tina Knowles, who has a personal connection with Megan

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through the Duchess's underwhelming podcast Confessions of a Female Founder.

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Knowles appeared on the show last year, where she discussed

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working alongside her daughter's Beyonce and Solange Knowles. Prince Harry

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did not attend the gala with Megan. Some reports suggested

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he remained at home in Montecito with their children, a

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practical explanation that nevertheless did little too quiet speculation. Observers

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noted that when the couple attend events together, their appearances

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are often framed as calculated, while separate engagements are treated

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as signals of deeper meaning. A report from Star magazine

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claims Harry and Meghan are increasingly living separate professional and

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social lives, with sources suggesting they are no longer at

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lined on what they want from their post royal life

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in the United States. According to a source, Megan is

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still laser focused on the Hollywood scene and building her brand,

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but Harry's lost interest in schmoozing with tinsel town types.

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It was a novelty at first. These days, however, that's

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worn off and it's just a bore to him. Although

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the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have appeared together publicly,

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including joint appearances at the Sundance Film Festival in January

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to promote their documentary Cookie Queens, the source claimed their

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careers are diverging. Harry is pouring all his energy into

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his Invictors Games foundation and chasing speaking gigs wherever he

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can find them. The source told Star that the couple's

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differing priorities have led to logistical separations, saying Harry and

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Meghan are on opposite schedules. As a result, they're spending

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a ton of time apart. That distance is said to

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extend beyond work commitments. The source claimed the couple now

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move in different social circles lately, which is creating even

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more distance. The insider also mentioned the public image of

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the marriage, saying fact is the marriage is nowhere here

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is perfect that she likes to make it seen when

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the cameras are off. Their lives are separate. Meanwhile, Kate

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and William reportedly went on a private skiing holiday in

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the French Alps. The couple were spotted last month at

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an upmarket mountain side restaurant in the exclusive resort of Kushchevell,

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a destination often described as the Saint Trepe of the

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Skis Slopes. The venue is known for its luxury pricing,

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with even a ham and cheese toasty reportedly costing eighty

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five euros. A member of staff at the restaurant said

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they had a very nice time and worked very polite.

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Other diners recognized Prince William and Princess Kate and took

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photographs from a distance as the pair left after their meal.

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One diner said, I couldn't believe I was having lunch

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in the same restaurant as Kate and William. They looked

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adorable in their beanie hats. It remains unclear whether the

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couple's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined

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them on the trip. On Sunday, Our Royal Inside a

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deep Crown wrote in his substack about how William may

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find himself thin on royals. One theory is that he

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may have no choice but to ask Zara and Mike

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Tindall to become working Royals. After all, someone must fill

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the newspaper space lest pesky questions be asked about the monarchy.

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Zara and Mike attended the Super Bowls. Are also shared

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an Instagram post where she wore a cowboy themed outfit.

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In the image, Zara is seen in high spirits, raising

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one hand in the air as she smiles towards the camera.

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Her hair is worn sleek and straight, topped with a

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black cowboy hat, exactly the sort of change the subject

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piece the Royals need. In the mix fluff stories serve

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the monarchy well. William and Kate offered a playful glimpse

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into their sporting rivalry ahead of England's Six Nations clash

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with Wales, sharing a joint message that highlighted their opposing

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rugby loyalties. In a statement posted to their official social

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media channels, Prince William and Princess Kate wrote wishing the

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best of luck to England and Wales Rugby as they

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head at Twickenham today in the Men's Six Nations Championship

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as patrons of both unions respectively. May the best team

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win trophy emoji W ANDC. The message reflected their formal

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roles within the sport. William has served as Royal Patron

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of the Welsh Rugby Union since twenty sixteen, while Kate

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was appointed Royal Patron of the Rugby Football Union and

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the Rugby Football League in twenty twenty two, taking over

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the England roles previously held by Prince Harry. The final

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score England forty eight Wales seven. More palacing just a moment.

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This may be the week the crap hits the fan

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for the royal family. King Charles has been granted planning

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permission to construct a large manure storage lagoon on the

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Sandringham estate, a decision that has sparked anger among local

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residents and prompted reports of unease within the royal family

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due to its proximity to Prince William's country home. The

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approval allows for the creation of four thousand square meters

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slurry lagoon comparable in size to four Olympic swimming pools,

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on farmland near Amner Hall in Norfolk, where the Prince

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and Prince of Wales live with their children. The facility

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is intended to store almost ten thousand cubic meters of

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animal manure before it is spread as fertilizer across surrounding farmland.

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Residents in the nearby village of Flycham have reacted strongly.

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One local residence said, people here understand agriculture, we live

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with it every day, but this is on a completely

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different scale. A lagoon of this size is bound to

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bring persistent odors, and that has left villages deeply uneasy.

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There is real disbelief that something so intrusive is being

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placed so close to anmhall, and a sense of irony

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that the decision ultimately sits with William's own father, the King.

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They must be at war over this. Despite objections, the

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council approved the plans. Sources suggest the development has take

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on a more personal dimension behind the scenes. One person

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familiar with the estate said this has come to represent

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more than just a routine land management decision. Charles approaches

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Sandringham first and foremost as a functioning agricultural operation that

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must be run efficiently. William, by contrast, regards and Mahall

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is a private refuge for his wife and children. Those

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two ways of seeing the estate inevitably clash. Another source

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highlighted the close proximity of the lagoon to and Mahall

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saying at this point the planning details and the personal

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relationships are deeply intertwined. However practically arguments may be on paper,

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it is impossible to ignore the family context. The inevitably

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questions and rise about what it means to the future

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King to have an industrial scale manure facility positioned so

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close to his home. One palace source said the dispute

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has become a subject of dark humor, adding there has

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been a lot of humor thrown about about this being

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the royal family's dirtiest dispute yet. But beneath the jokes,

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the feeling is very serious local residents and for William himself,

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the consequences are real and not remotely amusing. King Charles's

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face criticism of the timing and credibility of his environmental

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messaging as renewed royal scandals overshadowed the release of his

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new documentary. Writing in The Eyepaper, commentator Julia Raeside argued

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that the monarch's prime video film Finding Harmony at King's Vision,

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has been largely lost, I mean what she describes as

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a royal scandal storm. Raeside questioned whether the King is

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the right messenger for such a cause. Given his lifestyle

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and status, she wrote, it begs the question who will

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listen to him, adding there's cognitive dissonance between the sensible

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things being said and the fact that they're being said

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by possibly one of the people least likely to appeal

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to the next generation of campaigners. Race and I pointed

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to the King's multiple residences and frequent travel, as well

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as the unresolved issue of an illegal rubbish dump in Wigan,

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partially located on land owned by the Duchy of Lancaster.

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She noted a local frustration over twenty five thousand tons

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of waste remaining on the site, adding that a centuries

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old legal exemption means that Duchy is not required to

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clear it, promoting environmental responsibility. While the dump remains, she suggested,

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it appears deeply hypocritical and they have it. If you'd

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like to email us or addresses the palasindric at gmail

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dot com, and please follow us on Spotify, Apple or

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the app of your choice. I'm Mark Francis my thanks

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to John McDermott. This is Palace injury and good Dams

Prince William Courts Saudi Power Players as Meghan Markle Walks Red Carpet Alone

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