Royal Ascot 2026 Begins: Mike Tindall's Tips, Meghan Markle Ring Questions and Princess Anne Honored

0:00 Ah Caloroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to you Pallace intrig game your host Mark Francis. If you're attending the Royal Ascot, Mike Tindall has some tips for you. Never leave your hat in the toilet and forget about it. Mike told the Luxury Dispatch podcast. They're not cheap and people know that. Host Tom Chamberlain suggested keeping an extra shirt on hand, prompting Mike to joke that there might be a business opportunity hiding in plain sight. Do you think we're missing out on an opportunity here to just have the spare shirt shop. It's like a laundry on site. You come in, you get changed. We'll watch this, have it pressed for you're ready to go. We could make a killing. If it's too hot. It's a bit of a nightmare. The sweat is ongoing. Don't take the hat off.

0:48 It's like a pool of water drops out, giving listeners a glimpse behind the scenes. Mike's gonna have the journey to the racecourse. You jump in cars. The fleet of cars. They use a very old, historical, good old fashioned sort of car State cars, and they take it to the edge of the Great Park. It's about a twenty minute carriage ride from start to finish. They always let the children out wave their British flags and for Mike one moment stands out above all others. You turn on to the track down the middle of the course and the anthem stars. It's quite special. King Charles, Queen Camilla and several members of the royal family are expected to attend the annual showcase of racing, fashion and royal tradition. Rumors where that Beatrice and Eugenie have been banned or at least highly discouraged from attending. For the first time, Ascot has named an official color of the year, encouraging race goers to embrace tomato red on Gold Cup Day, which is Thursday. Women are being invited to wear statement dresses or hats in the shade, while men are encouraged to add red tires or pocket squares to their outfits. While Royal women have traditionally favored blues, greens, creams and pastels, there is already a royal president for the new color.

1:54 The Princess of Wales were a striking red Alexander McQueen dress with a matching Philip Treacy hat at Ascot in twenty twin. Princess Eugenie has also chosen bright red for the meeting in the past, while Queen Mary of Denmark wore the shade during a Royal Ascot appearance in sixteen. The new color initiative comes as Ascot launches its latest style Guide, with creative director Daniel Fletcher describing brake tomato read as a defining shade in occasion where that brings an instant feeling of summer joy. Royal Ascot runs through June twentieth, with members of the Royal Family expected to attend throughout the week. Social media fans are upset with Megan Michael again, this time the Touchess of Sussex recently appeared in a video shared by her as Ever Lifestyle brand.

2:36 In the clip, megane scene walking along the garden path carrying a bottle of wine as the company highlighted its summer beverage collection. The post featured the caption the gathering all summer long, refreshing Sauvignon blanc, Celebratory, brute light and bright Rose. But while the focus was intended to be on the products, some viewers quickly noticed that Megan appeared to be wearing only her wedding band, while her engagement ring was not visible in the video. The observation prompted speculation online, with some royal commentators questioning the significance of the missing ring when social media user wrote, I've been waiting to see what she's done with it at this time. She hasn't worn it in months. The engagement ring itself has long attracted attention because of its connection to both Prince Harry and his late mother, Princess Diana. When Harry proposed in twenty seventeen, the ring featured a central diamond source from Botswana, a country that holds special significance for the couple. The center stone was flanked by two diamonds from Princess di Anna's personal collection, creating a tribute to Harry's mother. Over the years, Meghan has made several changes to the ring's design, including updates to the band and setting.

3:42 Those alterations have often generated discussion among royal followers who closely track even the smallest details of the couple's public appearances. Whether the ring's absence in the latest video carries in the particular meaning remains unclear. It's entirely possible, Meghan simply chose to wear her wedding band that day. One small detail often noticed by royal watchers is that Prince William never wears a wedding ring, despite being married to the Princess of Wales for more than fifteen years. While Katherine is rarely seen without her famous Sapphire engagement ring and Welsh gold wedding band, William has never worn a ring since their wedding in twenty eleven. According to Palace sources at the time, the decisions were simply a matter of personal preference. One source explained, He's not one for jewelry, He's never worn any. He decided he didn't want to wear one. Now it's all down to personal preference. More Palace in just a moment, Hey, check out our sister show Crown and Controversy Norway, where we've been covering the Norwegian royal family's most turbulent year in modern history. On Monday, Marius Borghoebi, the son of Crown Princess Meta Marit, was convicted of rape and sentenced to four years in prison in Oslo, while his mother waits at home for a lung transplant that could come at any moment. It's one of the most dramatic royal stories anywhere in the world right now, and we have everything you need to know to search for Crown and Controversy Norway. Hit follow and you'll get updates as they happen and I host the show.

5:08 So there's that. Princess Anne is set to return to Thailand next month for her fourth official visit to the country. The British Embassy in Bangkok has announced that the Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband, Sir Tim Lawrence, will visit Thailand on July sixteenth and seventeen. The triple mark Anne's first visit to the country in nearly four decades. Her previous visits took place in seventy two, seventy nine, and eighty seven. During the visit, the Princess's scheduled to tour a school in Bangkok supported by Save the Children Thailand, continuing her long standing interest in education and child welfare. She has also expected to meet Thailand's Prime Minister and hold audiences with the King and Queen of Thailand. In addition, Anne will pay her respects to the late Queen Sir Kit the Queen Mother, and meet Thai family scientists, as well as representatives involved in a regional health security initiative. Princess Anne unveiled a new memori or dedicated to more than four hundred previously unrecognized First World War casualties whose stories had largely been lost to history. The Princess Royal attended a ceremony at Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, where she officially revealed the Brookwood nineteen fourteen to nineteen eighteen Memorial and behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, of which she serves as president. The memorial honors servicemen and women from the UK and Ireland who died as a result of the war, but whose graves were never formally identified or commemorated. Speaking at the ceremony, annseb today we gather in a place where history is not simply remembered, but where there is an enduring promise that none who serve will be forgotten. This memorial marks a profound new chapter

6:41 in our shared remembrance of those names lost in the archival shadows. She explained that the memorial commemorates those who died of wounds far from the battlefield, those who succumbed it to illness while still in service, as well as others who lost their lives in training accidents or were discharged as unfit, only to later die on the care of their families. The memorial itself consists of thirty one large stone slabs arranged to reflect the pattern of the brightest styles visible in the sky at the moment the armistice was signed on November eleventh, nineteen eighteen. Claire Houghton, Directed General of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, said the memorial has room for many more names to be added in the future. It's incredible to think that after all these years we are still finding people to commemorate, she said.

7:24 More than four hundred new trees have been planted around the memorial, creating a living tribute designed to a volt over time. Anne was also celebrated by the Royal family for the fiftieth anniversary of her appearance at the Olympic Games. The Royal family's official social media accounts marked the milestone by sharing a photograph of the Princess Royal competing on horseback while representing Great Britain. The image shared by the Palace showed the Princess wearing a teen Great Britain jacket while mounted on her horse during the competition. Anne made history in Montreal when she became the first member of the royal family to compete at the Olympic Games, representing Great Britain in the three day equestrian event aboard Goodwill, a horse owned by Queen Elizabeth. However, during the competition, she suffered a concussion after falling during the cross country phase when a horse became stuck while attempting to jump.

8:11 Speaking at a reunion, and admitted that the part of the competition she would most like to remember is the one that she cannot recall. She told guests, I had a slight problem in that bit that I would like to remember, which is the cross country. I don't. But every now and again I see it and I think, oh, okay, and I suspect Goodwill remembers it, but I don't. It was an experience, and a lot of it was a good experience. The princess also joked about the passage of time as she addressed athletes who competed alongside her five decades ago. Looking around the room, she remarked that everyone looked extremely well on it, while noting that the reunion does mark the passage of time just a little. Hey all, this month, we're encouraging listeners of Palace Intrigue. That's you. Please help spread the word. If you enjoy the show, tell a friend about us. Better yet, share an episode with someone who loves following the royal family, and be sure to follow pallace in on Spotify and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. We'd love to hear your thoughts on today's stories. You can leave the comment for us on Spotify and I'm Mink Francis my thanks to John mcjermmy. This is Palace Intrigue and good terms