June 28, 2026

The Man Queen Elizabeth Didn’t Marry, Marilyn Monroe Meets the Queen, and Charles’ Legacy Gifts

Show Notes
Transcript

Before Prince Philip, the Queen Mother reportedly had another husband in mind for Princess Elizabeth. We explore the royal road not taken and how Philip ultimately changed the monarchy forever. Then, the fascinating story of Marilyn Monroe’s long-awaited meeting with Queen Elizabeth the Second, including the lipstick mishap the Queen never forgot. Plus, reports that King Charles is acquiring deeply personal heirlooms for Queen Camilla as he reflects on legacy, family, and the love story that shaped his life.

Palace Intrigue is a daily British royal family podcast covering King Charles, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and the House of Windsor. New episodes every day. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network.

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Ah Calorougus Shark media and Hello and welcome through palace intrigue.

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I am your host, Mark Frances. Before Queen Elizabeth the

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Second became one half of one of the most enduring

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royal marriages in modern history, there were other names quietly

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discussed as potential husbands for the future Queen. According to

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royal historian Hugo Vickers, one man in particular attracted the

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attention of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. His name was Hugh,

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Earl of Euston, who would later become the Duke of Grafton. Vickers,

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whose new book explores the life of the late monarch,

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said the Queen Mother had a clear preference for her

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eldest daughter's future husband. The Queen Mother was very keen

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that she should marry a Grenadier God, Vickers explained, and

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the Grenadier Gods are the most prestigious of all British regiments.

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If you're a Grenadier Guard, you are the top. During

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the Second World War, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret spent

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much of their time at Windsor Castle. The estate was

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surrounded by military personnel, including a number of Grenadier Guards, and,

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according to Vickers, the Queen Mother was not entirely subtle

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in encouraging possible introductions. He said, with all these Grenadier

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guards around the place, the Queen Mother was very much

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hoping she placed a number of Grenadier guards. As it

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were on Princess Elizabeth's path, she would have loved her

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and married Lord Euston. Some observers at the time believed

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Euston's prospects were strong. Society diarist Henry chips Channon even

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wrote that the young aristocrat was being reserved for a

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higher destiny, the very throne itself. But history would take

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a different turn. Vicause believes Prince Philip ultimately proved to

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be the far stronger match. I think it was much

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better choice that Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip. Prince Philip

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was a breath of fresh air. He had a very

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good naval career during the war. He was bursting with ideas.

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Because added that while the future Duke of Grafton was

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a charming and cultured man, he would not have provided

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the same energy your modernizing influence that Philip brought to

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the House of Windsor. Others have noted that Philip himself

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was far from a universally popular choice when the romance began,

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royal commentator Helena Chance despite Princess Elizabeth's heart set on Philip,

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her parents thought he was a brash, totally unsuitable match.

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Princess Elizabeth fell head over hills Philip as smet, and

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Elizabeth kept a photograph of Philip in her bedroom. Royal

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broadcaster Ian Pellham Turner echoed that view, saying the King

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was not enamored with Philip, who he saw as a

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rather brash young man, but Elizabeth became infatuated with the

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dashing young blonde. Eventually, King George the sixth accepted that

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his daughter had made up her mind. The couple's engagement

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was announced in July nineteen forty seven, and then married

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later that year at Westminster Abbey. The rest, of course,

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became one of the defining partnerships of the modern monarchy.

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Philip spent more than seventy years at Elizabeth's side, supporting

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her through her reign and helping to guide the institution

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through decades of change. As royal expert Hillary Fordage observed,

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it was a testament of the Queen's deep feelings for

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him that she wouldn't be dissuaded from him despite considerable

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pressure from all sides. Looking back now, it is difficult

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to imagine history unfolding any other way. The Queen Mother

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may have had another candidate in mine, but Princess Elizabeth

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chose Prince Philip herself, and that decision shaped the monarchy

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for the next three quarters of a century. Long before

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Hollywood became fascinated with royal stories, one of Hollywood's biggest

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starts was fascinated by the Queen. Marilyn Monroe met Queen

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Elizabeth the Second in October nineteen fifty six during a

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Royal Command performance at London's Empire Theater in Leicester Square.

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At the time, both women were thirty years old. Elizabeth

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was only a few years into her reign. Marilyn Monroe

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was already one of the world's most famous actresses and

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was living in Britain while filming The Prince and the

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Showgirl with Sir Lawrence Olivier. According to author Michael Morgan's

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book When Marilyn Met the Queen, Monroe had been eager

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to meet the monarch during her time in England once

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was familiar with the accounts of the meeting, said Marilyn

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had a real fascination with us Queen Elizabeth long before

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they were introduced. She saw her as a figure of

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enormous grace, influence, and mystery. The source added. Marilyn was

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intrigued by the fact that they were both global icons,

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navigating extraordinary levels of public attention at her remarkably young age.

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There was something almost symbolic about the meeting. For Marilyn.

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Here were two women born in the same year who

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had become the most recognizable figures in their respective spheres,

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one the world's most famous actress, the other the world's

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most famous monarch. That connection genuinely captivated her. According to

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the book, Monroe had repeatedly expressed a desire to meet

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the Queen while living the Windsor with her husband, playwright

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Arthur Miller. When the opportunity finally arrived, Marilyn reportedly made

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sure she would be noticed. A source said Marilyn approached

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the evening like a major occasion. She spent hours preparing

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and understood that the world's cameras would be watching. There

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was never any chance she was going to tone down

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her signature style. Monroe arrived wearing a gold lamee gown

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with plunging neckline, a choice that reportedly raised eyebrows among

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organizers who had encouraged guests to dress conservatively when meeting Royalty.

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Despite concerns about protocol, the meeting itself appears to have

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gone smoothly. Film footage shows Monroe curtseying before greeting the Queen,

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who attended the event wearing an elegant black gown and

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Vladimir Tiara. Afterwards, Marilyn spoke warmly about the encounter. The

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Queen is very warm hearted, she said. The Queen meanwhile,

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reportedly remembered the actress with sympathy rather than scandal. According

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to a later account, Elizabeth remarked, I thought miss Monroe

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was a very sweet person, but I felt sorry for

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her because she was so nervous that she had licked

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all of her lipstick off or palace in just a moment.

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A report claims King Charles has become increasingly focused on

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preserving his personal legacy through gifts and heirlooms intended for

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Queen Camilla. According to Radar Online, sources close to the

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palace believed the king's cancer diagnosis has led him to

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place greater emphasis on family history and the lasting symbols

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of his relationship with the queen. The report centers on

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a collection of the historic jewelry, the Keppel Tiara, which

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has connections to both Charles and Camilla's family histories. One

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palisade reportedly said, since receiving his cancer diagnosis, Charles has

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become far more emotional and introspective about the people and

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possessions that matter most to him, and he is now

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on a mission to buy the entire Keppel jewelry step

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as well as other priceless artifacts, as a huge gift

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for Camilla. Those around him believe these jewels go much

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deeper than extravagant royal gifts. They are deeply personal declarations

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of love and lasting devotion to Camilla, wrapped up in

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royal history and symbolism. According to the report, some aides

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have privately referred to the items as death gifts, reflecting

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what they see as the king's desire to ensure Camilla's

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place in the story of his reign. The same source said,

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behind Pallace walls, there are aides who quietly refer to

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the pieces as charles death gifts, because there is a

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clear sense he wants to secure Camilla's place within the

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monarchy long after he has gone. He is determined she

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will always be seen not simply as his wife, but

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as a central part of the legacy, an emotional story

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he leaves behind. As King, Charles has become acutely aware

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of mortality during his illness, and it has changed the

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way he thinks about legacy, family, and permanence. The jewelry

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he has been giving Camilla is viewed by some inside

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the household almost as emotional insurance, treasured aliens carrying enormous

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sentimental weight. For Charles, these gifts are about far more

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than status or wealth. They are symbolic reminders of their

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decades together, the sacrifices they both endured, and is designed

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to ensure Camilla remains protected and historically intertwined with his

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reign for generations to come. The Keppel Tiara is particularly

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significant because it once belonged to Alice Keppel, Camilla's great

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great grandmother, who was the long time companion of King

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Edward the seventh. The source said Chapel views the Keppel

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jewels as far more than historic accessories to him, they

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are intensely romantic symbols tied to a love story that

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survived decades of scandal, separation, and public scrutiny. He is

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deeply conscious of his mortality now, and there is a

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growing determination to assemble a collection of meaningful heirlooms for

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Camilla while he still has the chance. Those close to

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the King believe he privately assumes Camilla will outlive him,

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which has made these gifts feel even more emotionally charged.

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He wants her surrounded by pieces that reflect their relationship

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and his devotion to her after he is gone. Charles

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has always regarded Camilla as the one person he was

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truly meant to be with. These jewels are becoming his

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personal tribute to that belief, tangible reminders of a relationship

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he fought for for over most of his adult life.

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There's also a sentimental fascination for Charles and the parallels

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between his romance with Camilla and the royal affailing to

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Alice Keppel and Edward the Seventh. He sees those Kepl

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jewels almost as artifacts of enduring forbidden love, and he

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wants Camilla to inherit that sense of history, permanence, and

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emotional significance attached to them. And there you have it.

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He all this month, we're encouraging listeners of Palace Intrigued

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thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue. Good terms

The Man Queen Elizabeth Didn’t Marry, Marilyn Monroe Meets the Queen, and Charles’ Legacy Gifts

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