The Lighter Side of the Crown: Gloves, Gowns, and Green Helicopters

0:03 Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to balace intrigue Game your host Mark Francis. Staff at Windsor Castle have found themselves having to clarify their handling protocols after a social media video sparked and unexpected backlash. The clip, shared online by the Royal Collection Trust showed two members of staff carefully turning the pages of one of the largest books in the Royal Library collection without wearing gloves. The post explained that the book was John James Orderbond's monumental four volume work Birds of America, made up of four hundred and thirty five hand colored prints. The caption noted that the auder Bond insisted even the largest species be reproduced life size, resulting in dramatic illustrations printed on so called double elephant paper, meaning roughly one hundred by sixty seven centimeters.

1:00 The sheer scale of the book and the rare glimpse inside the Royal Library at Windsor Castle quickly captured attention, but viewers were soon distracted by one detail. The staff handling the book were not wearing gloves. Comments flooded in why aren't these ladies wearing gloves to protect the paper, wrote one user. Others were more blunt, with one simply asking no gloves. The reaction was strong enough that twenty four hours later, the Royal Collection Trust posted a follow up video addressing the concern directly. The caption read why don't we wear gloves to handle books? Yesterday's real was popular with lots of questions about wearing gloves when handling books. So here's the explanation as to why our curator isn't wearing gloves. Speaking to the camera, the curator explaining the best practice for rare books is actually clean, dry, bare hands.

1:48 The best practice is to have clean, dry hands with no hand cream and no nail varnish, she said, adding that bare hands allow pages to be turned more carefully and with greater control than gloves, which can reduce sensitivity and increase the risk of damage. The Royal Library inside Windsor Castle contains more than forty five thousand rare books and manuscripts, spread across three rooms. It is not open to the public, which is why even brief glimpses on social media tend to generate excitement and occasionally controversy. Dressing as a senior royal comes with significant expectations and a notable price tag. While the exact figures are never officially disclosed, estimates suggest that a royal wardrobe typically cost between fifty thousand and two hundred thousand dollars per year. For many years, clothing worn for official engagements was covered by the household budget of what is now King Charles. That funding was largely drawn from private income sources, including the Duchy of Cornwall before it passed to Prince Williaman twenty twenty two.

2:50 Items worn outside official duties could be paid for personally, while designers have also been known to loan outfits that are later returned. Kate has built substantial wardrobe since joining the royal family in twenty eleven. Reports have estimated that her post wedding wardrobe refresh alone exceeded fifty thousand dollars, though that figure does not account for clothing borrowed on loan or pieces she already owned. Megan Markle also drew attention for the cost of her fashion during her time as a working royal. In twenty eighteen, British press estimates suggests her post wedding outfits total more than two hundred thousand dollars. Again, noting that the figure likely included loaned, discounted or previously owned clothing. King Charles has been recognized for pushing green at Royal travel, with new figures highlighting the scale and environmental focus of the Royal Family's helicopter use.

3:43 Since entering service in twenty twenty five, the Royal Family's two leased Augusta Westland AWE thirty nine helicopters have flown around fifty eight thousand miles, the equivalent of circling the globe twice. Flight records show the aircraft logged roughly four hunt twenty flying hours between late February and the end of November, operating on at least one hundred and forty two of the two hundred and seventy nine days for that period. In total, the helicopters completed around three hundred and forty separate journeys. The helicopters replaced two Sikorski aircraft that had been in service for fifteen years, with the Royal Household confirming in June twenty twenty four that their use would be maximized. A key factor in the decision was that the new helicopters operate using the maximum industry standard of fifty percent sustainable aviation fuel, reducing reliance on more expensive fixed wing aircraft. Princess Anne emerged as the most frequent user of the new fleet. Flight data shows sixty eight stops at her Gatcombe Park home in Gloucestershire, reflecting her consistently high volume of public engagements throughout the year.

4:51 Prince William has also made extensive use of the helicopters, with forty seven recorded stops at Windsor and five at Forest Lodge, the family home he moved to in October. I could show the Prince using the aircraft for a wide range of duties, including travel to a referee training course in Walsall, a woman's rugby match in Exeter, visits to the England women's football squad in Staffordshire, Homewood's work in Sheffield, and earth shot related engagements in Norwich. Kate also relied on helicopter transport for some engagements. Her visit to a well being garden at Colchester Hospital on July second involved seven separate helicopter movements covering around three hundred and ninety miles, including stops at Windsor, Mervill Barracks and the family's Norfolkoma and the Hall. The Prince and Princess of Wales also traveled together by helicopter to events, including a Six Nations match at Cardiff's Principality Stadium and a visit to Southport to meet Bereve family. Following the twenty twenty four nine attack, Tim Foscheng, chief executive of the British Helicopter Association, praised the King for leading by example on greener aviation, saying I know full well the Royal flight do look for a blend. You've got to appreciate.

5:59 It comes as an expanse, but the helicopter industry is very forward leaning on doing the regulatory clearances for saf All Royal travel is funded through the Sovereign Grant, which supports official duties and is linked to the Crown and State profits. A Royal a defended the level of helicopter use, saying if you're going to make an investment of that magnitude, then you need to sweat the asset. A Buckingham Palace spokesman added that helicopters are a key component of the Royal travel plan due to their unique capability to access remote regions of the UK. Which are not otherwise readily served by other modes of transport, and that they allow members of the royal family to carry out multiple engagements in a single day more palace in just a moment.

6:44 Netflix star Claire Foy has said that portraying Queen Elizabeth I Sakan felt like just another role, as she reflected on playing the late monarch in the hit drama The Crown, Foy, now forty one, said, I'd been acting for a good ten years before then, so I had a decent gauge on how it all worked and enough experience under my belt to know it was just another role that was good for me, because it meant I was willing just to be amazed about these extraordinary experiences I was having, as opposed to believing the hype. Foy also echoed sentiments previously expressed by Harry when discussing her discomfort with social media and public commentary. She said she prefers to stay quiet rather than weigh in on issues. She feels unqualified to judge. What I believe and who I am and where I stand on things is constantly in flux, as much as it is for everyone else, and I have absolutely no authority to discuss or proclaim about anything other than what I do as an actor. She said, if you're just making noise up for the sake of it, then you should probably shut up. So I tend to shut up. In recognition of what would have been the one hundredth birthday of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Mint has unveiled a special commemorative coin. The late monarch would have reached her centenary on April twenty first, and the occasion is being marked with a five pound coin issued as part of the Mints twenty twenty six collection.

8:00 Elizabeth appeared on more UK coins than any other sovereign, and for decades her portrait was synonymous with British coinage. Over the course of her reign, five official portraits of the Queen were introduced on circulating coins. The design of the centenary coins centers on Elizabeth's royal cipher and features Saint Edward's crown. The imagery is framed by a decorative foliage inspired by the ironwork of the east door at Saint George's Chapel in Windsor, where the late Queen is laid to rest around The designer one hundred beads symbolizing the one hundred years since her birth. Exalted Beta in Gloria also appears translated as she will be exhorted in glory.

8:41 Rebecca Morgan, director of Commemorative Coin at the Royal Mint, said this is an exciting moment for the nation to discover some of the anniversaries that will be celebrated on UK coins in twenty twenty six. Whether you're a Royal enthusiast and motor racing van or passionate about conservation, there's something for everyone in this collection. Coins have a unique bill to mark a variety of themes that resonate across different communities and interests, creating lasting reminders of the moments and institutions the shape house shared heritage. We are also delighted to be introducing recycle gold into a limited number of commemorative coins. This move demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable future for the Royal Mint, preserving finite precious metal resources and supporting a circular economy. Alongside the Queen's Centenary coin, the Royal Mint will release other commemoratives marking major milestones. These include one hundred years of the British Grand Prix two hundred years of the Zoological Society of London and the bi centenary of HMS Bagel, and they have it. If you'd like to email and so addresses the Palace intrigu at gmail dot com. Please follow us at Spotify, Apple or the app of your choice and mark Francis Mayor. Thanks to John McDermott, this is Palace Intrigue and good terms.