May 10, 2026

Prince William Under Pressure, not immune to criticism... but loves The Traitors

Show Notes
Transcript

A new book suggests Prince William was not immune to criticism in his early royal years, with claims he was labeled “work shy” and pushed to define his role. We also look at reported tensions ahead of Harry and Meghan’s wedding, including concerns over Princess Diana’s jewelry, plus a glimpse at William’s surprisingly low-key evenings watching The Traitors. There’s also a family story involving King Charles’s eco-friendly Aston Martin, a former aide reflecting on life inside the Wales household, and a look at the next generation of younger royals who may soon step forward.

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Royal Books:

Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors by Tom Bower

William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story

The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana

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Ah Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Pallace Intrigue.

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I I'm your host, Mark Francis. Prince William said to

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be not untouched by the criticism he faced in the

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years after university, particularly over suggestions that he lacked direction

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in royal life. Russell Meyer's new book William and Catherine

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The Monarchy's New Era. The Inside Story says whim eventually

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realized he needed to confront the growing perception that he

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was a reluctant royal. Meyers wrote, the Prince knew he

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would have to address the criticisms that he was a

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somewhat reluctant royal head on. The pressure from the press

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had been increasing in recent years, with many labeling him

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as workshy. The book also suggests comparisons with older and

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more established members of the family did him no favors.

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Meyers wrote. The fact that he was taking part in

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fewer official royal engagements than the Queen and his father

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Charles had also not gone unnoticed by his own household.

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A former courtier told Myers he was not immune to

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the criticism. The team made it very clear after he

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finished his posting in Wales with the Royal Air Force.

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He really had to come up with a plan. William

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is said to have had concerns in the lead up

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to the twenty eighteen wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markel,

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particularly regarding the use of Princess Diana's jewelry. Royal expert

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Robert Jobson claims William sought assurances that Megan would not

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wear pieces belonging to Diana during the wedding ceremony. Jobson said,

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I have been told that, still concerned about the match,

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he sought assurances from the Queen that Harry's bride would

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not be wearing any of Princess Diana's jewelry, even though

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his own wife was allowed to wear it. On the

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day itself. At Saint George's Chapel, Megan wore Queen Mary's

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diamond bandou tiara rather than any of Diana's pieces. However,

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the report notes she later wore Diana's aquamarine ring at

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the evening reception at Frogmore House and has continued to

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wear it on other occasions since. Jobson also described the

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atmosphere around the wedding writing display charp digs and thin

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skins on both sides the Windsor in May twenty eighteen

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was a spectacular success. In public, the royal family were

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all smiles, though privately they were at daggers drawn. Prince

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William has a far more low key idea of a

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night in compared to his father, King Charles. The detail

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comes from Robert Hartman's book Elizabeth scon in Private and

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Public Story, which suggests the King still prefers working late

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into the night, often writing letters at his desk. By contrast,

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William's downtime is notably more relaxed. Hardman wrote, the King

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is the one who still enjoys sitting up writing letters

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into the night, whereas Prince William's idea of a fun

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evening says one of his teams to sit down with

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the princess in front of the traitors. William has previously

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spoken about his interest in the show. During an investiture ceremony,

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the future King met producer Stephen Lambert and discussed the program,

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with Lambert saying William told him he and his family

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were very much looking forward to watching it and expected

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to be a big treat. Prince William may be the

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first in line to the throne, but according to a

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former Royal staffer. He has never been above gently taking

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the mickey out of his father. Grant Harold, had former

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butler to the Royal family, says William used to tease

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King Charles over one of his more eccentric, eco friendly habits.

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The Kings famously modified Aston Martin. Charles has long been

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known for his environmental campaigning, and years ago had the

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classic car adapted to run on biofuel derived from wine

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and cheese byproducts. Harold said the unusual setup became a

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running family joke. He's so conscious of the environment and

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was long before it became mainstream. He was always looking

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for ways he could protect the environment. It's something he's

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so passionate about. Prince William used to mock his dad

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for it a lot, in a loving way, of course,

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but it's just such a random thing to do. We

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couldn't believe it when we found out. We used to

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joke about it a lot in the staff room. Still,

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Charles apparently drew the line when it came to actually

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handing over the keys. He never let anyone else drive it.

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It was a big issue, as I remember both William

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and Harry wanting to drive it, but he wouldn't let them.

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There was, however, one major exception. He let William and

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Kate borrow it on their wedding day and that was

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a big deal. A formancy aid to the Prince and

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Princess of Wales has spoken publicly about her time working

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inside the royal household, describing it as both demanding and formative.

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Natasha Archer, who served as a key assistant to William

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and Catherine from twenty ten till twenty twenty five, has

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now launched her own consultancy business, offering high level personal

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and organizational support to clients. Archer was widely known for

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her role in helping shape the Princess of Wales's public image,

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particularly her wardrobe, though she has pushed back on being

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described simply as a stylist. She said, I often get

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referred to as a stylist and it's quite frustrating. There

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are a lot of other things that came with my role.

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I'm not a traditional stylist. I'm looking at everything. Her

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new business focuses on what she describes as precision and preparation,

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helping clients navigate complex public and professional lives. She said,

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precision is one of my key words Helping my clients

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understand where they are going is a huge focus of

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my business. It's everything, what flaws he going to be

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walking on? How hot is it going to be? Is

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it going to be windy? Are you going to be

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sitting in a prominent position. Reflecting on her time with

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the Waleses, she described the experiences deeply meaningful. She said,

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it was an extraordinary privilege and I hold it so

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close to my heart. I've made incredible friendships there and

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I look back on my memories totally fondly, and I

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just feel really grateful to have had that opportunity. I

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learned so much from the people I was working for.

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It's planning, it's being ready, it's offering an unwavering level

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of support to who you are working with, more palatine

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just a moment. Attention is turning to a younger generation

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of royals who could take on more visible roles in

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the future, as Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are increasingly

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expected to step back from the spotlight. Figures such as

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Lady Louise Windsor and James Earl of Wessex are among

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those potential future representatives of the royal family. Lady Louise,

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the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, has

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maintained a relatively low profile, but has appeared at key

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royal events, including the coronation and annual church services. She

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is currently studying at the University of Saint Andrew's Daily

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Mail journalist Christopher Wilson says Lady Louise charms all who

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meet her and could be a decorative and useful asset

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to the royal team, but her mother, Sophie, vastly protective

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of her daughter, is just as likely to want her

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to stay out of the spotlight. Lady Louise, currently studying

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at Saint Andrews, has made the occasional appearance at events

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such as Royal Ascot and Tribute the Color. However, her parents,

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Prince Edwin Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have long emphasized giving

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their children a more private upbringing. In a previous interview,

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Sophie explained that decision, saying we try to bring them

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up with the understanding that they are very likely to

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have to work for a living. Hence we made the

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decision not to use HRH titles. James ol of Wessex,

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the youngest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth the Second is also

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seen as part of its next wave. He has taken

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part in royal events including Trooping the Color and the

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Coronation while continuing his education. The report also highlights the

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children of Zara and Mike Tindall, as well as Peter

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phillips daughters, as part of a wider group of younger

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royals who are growing up within the family but outside

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the most senior working royals. Savannah Phillips, for example, has

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already made public appearances at events such as Trooping the

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Color and royal weddings, while Isla Phillips and Mia Tindall

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have also featured at major family occasions. The shift comes

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as the monarch he continues to focus on a smaller

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group of working Royals, raising questions about how future public

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duties will be shared across the wide of family. While

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no formal changes have been announced, the report suggests this

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younger generation could play a larger role in the years ahead,

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and are they habit? If you like to email us

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addresses the Palace Intrigue at gmail and dot com, please

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followus on Spotify, Apple or the app of your choice.

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S Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is

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palace intrigue. Good terms,

Prince William Under Pressure, not immune to criticism... but loves The Traitors

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