June 28, 2025
Sophie Wessex: Kate Middleton's Secret Support System + Slimmed Down Monarchy Crisis Exposed
Insights into Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh's crucial friendship with Kate Middleton during her cancer battle. Royal expert reveals why the "slimmed down monarchy" has failed, calling for Princess Beatrice and Eugenie to step up as working royals. We cover the aging royal workforce crisis and lack of support for King William's future reign. Plus, explosive Netflix documentary announced about Norwegian Princess Märtha Louise and her controversial shaman fiancé Durek Verrett, promising never-before-seen footage of Europe's most unorthodox royal romance.
Get ready for our new series Crown and Controversy coming July 13th. Follow now. The full Season 1 is available now for premium subscribers.
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WEBVTT
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Caloroga Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intrigue. I
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am your host, Mark Francis. The Mirror dusted off an
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old chestnut the secret weapon. Aren't Sophie, They're right. Kate
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has found solace in Sophie's friendship at royal events in
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years past, with the dynamic duo even occasionally dressing and
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complimenting outfits when stepping out together. Sophie and Kate were
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seen looking dazzling at Garter Day wearing matching pastel ensembles
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as they reminded royal onlookers of their tight knit bond.
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The sisterly friendship between Kate and Sophie stems back to
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when Kate first joined the royal family in the late
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two thousands with her marriage to Prince William, and was
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fostered by the fact that both women were seen as
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a safe pair of hands to represent the royal family
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by the late Queen Elizabeth. The two women have much
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in common, not least they were both from non royal
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families held down normal jobs before marrying into the firm.
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Royal expert Jenny Bond tells The Mirror there seems to
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be a real friendship between Sophie and Catherine, it's hard
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to think of them as aunt and nice. They seem
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more like sisters or cousins. I think Sophie has been
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able to offer Katherine a huge amount of advice over
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the years, not just about how to fit in this
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very elite family, but also about how to juggle a
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hectic working life with bringing up children. And I suspect
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that Sophie has been a great comfort to Catherine and
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indeed to William during the past very difficult eighteen months.
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Sophie went through some alarming health scares during childbirth and
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would have been a shoulder to cry on if Catherine
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felt the need. When you join the royal family, it
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must be rather like subscribing to a secret society. There
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are so few people you can trust, so few friends
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you can confide confidently in. I'm sure Catherine has always
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felt that Sophie is a safe pair of hands and
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someone she can easily trust, and vice versa. I think
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they have said it themselves they are best friends. In
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Sophie's own work, delivered in a tearful tribute to her
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husband for his sixtieth birthday, she called him the best
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of the fathers. The most loving of husbands and still
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my best friend. Edward has described his wife as rock
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and said he was incredibly lucky to have found Sophie
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to be perfectly frank. I used to think Edward was
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slightly pompous, but I was wrong. I've met him a
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few times over the years and watched him at work.
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He's actually very engaging, almost relentlessly jolly, and throws himself
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into every engagement, asking numerous questions and chatting quite freely
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with the crowds. Sophie is a diamond, unpretentious, down to earth,
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often does her own makeup and even drives himself to
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her engagements. She's the easiest person in the world to
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chat with and doesn't seem bothered about attracting headlines. Sometimes
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her visits aren't even flagged up to the press. Recently, though,
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as they assume their very senior positions as Duke and
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Duchess of Edinburgh, we have learned more about their work
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and I think they're getting some of the recognition they deserve.
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Like other members of the royal family, they're not fussed
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about having publicity about themselves. What they want is public
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about the causes and charities they are supporting They in
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turn will continue to play an important role in supporting
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King Charles and then King William, and for the next
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decade or two at least, I think we shall be
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seeing more and more of Edward and Sophie for royal central.
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Charlie Proctor writes an opinion piece that the slimder down
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monarchy has failed. Proctor writes rumors are spoiling in the
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royal world. The Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have effectively
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been put on ice, with the future monarch, King William
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deciding what role his cousins should play during his reign.
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The King's vision of a slimmed down monarchy was no
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doubt tramped up with good intentions, his Majesty not wanting
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klingerons and for the royal family to be seen as
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being conscious to the fact their activities are funded by
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the public purse. But a slimmed down monarchy just hasn't worked.
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With the exception of Prince and Princess of Wales and
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the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, all working members of
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the royal family are now elderly. The eighty nine year
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old Duke of Kent is admirable in his dedicate to duty,
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as is the eighty year old Duke of Gloucester and
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seventy four year old Princess Royal. But it is a
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sad fact of life. They will have no choice but
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to slow down one day and what then There is
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no Prince Harry to his sister's brother when he takes
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to the throne. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince lewis
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maybe too young or could be focusing on their studies.
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The firm is in trouble. Slimmed down monarchy actually means
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lack of monarchy in the communities with charities and organizations
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without royal visits and representation. So I say step up.
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The York's sisters, Beatrice and Eugenie are young, enthusiastic, philanthropic,
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and most importantly, are willing. It is well known that
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Princess Anne's children have no desire to partake in official
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royal duties, but the same can't be said for Andrew's daughters.
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It just seems like such a common sense solution. I
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have seen firsthand the impact royal feet on the ground
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can have its small charities and events. Beatrice and Eugenie
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can bring back the magic we have otherwise lost more
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palace in just a moment. Forthcoming Netflix documentary promises to
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lift the veil on one of Europe's most unorthodox royal romances,
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that of Princess Martha Luise of Norway and her American
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fiancee Durrik Veret, a self styled shaman and conspiracy theorist
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with a criminal record. Though kept under wraps until now,
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new details have emerged by a Danish outlet Bill Blade,
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with an insider confirming the project is still untitled and
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will premiere in twenty twenty five. Netflix describes the series
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as a never before look one of the most discussed couples,
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charting the arc of their relationship from its early stages
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to their modern day life lived under constant public scrutiny.
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The series has reportedly been in production for over a
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year under the direction of Tiger Kings Rebecca Chaklin and
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Emmy winning producer Chris Smith. No strangers to explosive subject matter.
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Martha Luise, fourth in line to the Norwegian throne, first
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made headlines in twenty nineteen which she confirmed her relationship
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with Verrep two years after the death of her former
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husband ari Be, with whom she shares three children. In
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twenty twenty two, she stepped down from official royal duties,
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stating she wanted to distinguish more clearly between our activities
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in the Royal House of Norway. She also entered into
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a formal agreement with her father, King Harold that she
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would not use her royal title for commercial ventures, a
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matter that reportedly prompted heated publican press scrutiny and now
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may be addressed in the upcoming series. The documentary is
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expected to cover not only the couple's controversial public image,
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but also their lavish three day wedding and garringer Norway,
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which took place on the thirty first of August twenty
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twenty four and was attended by King Harold and Queen Sonia.
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Though private, the event was covered internationally and marked a
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symbolic reconciliation between the couple and the Crown. In a
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twenty twenty one interview with Business Insider, Princess Martha Luise
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addressed the challenges of being in an interracial relationship, saying
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I never thought of myself as racist before he got
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together with Durrek and suddenly to expand that vision. And
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acknowledge that I actually have white privilege. It was such
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an eye opener for me. She added, I also see
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through his eyes that racism isn't just the obvious headlines.
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It's the subtle energies even in elevators, who are on
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the street people class their handbags closer. The Netflix film,
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which will no doubt, touch on these cultural tensions, as
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well as the public's reaction to Verret's more controversial beliefs,
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which includes spiritual healing, inter dimensional knowledge, and past claims
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involving the use of a spirit optimizer device. Despite criticism,
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the couple has remained defind and there you have it.
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Inflects to email us our addresses The Palace Intrigue at
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to John McDermott. This is Pallas intriguing good times,
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144
00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:54.839
145
00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:57.720
146
00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:00.959
