"WE'RE DONE": Netflix Insider Declares Sussex Deal Dead as Andrew Becomes "Detainee A" - The week in UK Royal news

0:00 Ah Calorogus Shark Media that hello and welcome to you Palace Weekly. I am your host, Mark Francis. Catherine, the Princess of Wales, revealed something personal during a brewery visit this week. When offered a taste of beer inside of it Fable Beer Hall, she declined and explained why. According to brewery owner Hannah Rhodes, Kate said that since her diagnosis, she has not had much alcohol and that it is something she now has to be far more conscious of. She opted for a soft drink instead. The brewery stop was part of a broader outing that drew large crowds in East London. Kate and Williams started at Burrough Market in Southwark, where they put on aprons and dried their hands at several tasks, chopping cheese, serving dessert at the Humble Crumbled Stall, and making coffee a Change Please social enterprise that supports people experiencing homelessness. At one point, Kate prepared a cappuccino and handed it to William, telling him she'd made him a coffe When he asked whether it was decaf and she said no, he joked that the drink should be sold instead. William also revealed a personal preference during the visit when they toured the Bermondsey b a mile and tried pouring pines. He told those present, I'm a cider man. I like cider. I grew up on cider in the West Country. The day continued with a speedboat journey along the River Thames to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Tower Lifeboat Station in Westminster, now the busiest station in the country. The visit carried personal significance

1:30 for the couple. Their first official engagement together in February twenty eleven involved the same charity when they traveled to Anglesey to name a new lifeboat. Kat also attended the Irish Guards Saint Patrick's d Parade at Mon's Barracks, where she presented springs of shamrock to officers, guardsmen and Seamus, the Irish wolfhound. She awarded long service medals and met junior cadets from Northern Ireland known as the Mini Mix. Later in the week, Kat and William took on a prominent diplomatic role when they welcomed Nigerian President boer Ahmad Tinebu and his wife to the United Kingdom on behalf of King Charles. It marked the first Nigerian state visit in thirty seven years. The couple greeted the presidential party at the Fairmont Hotel before travn two Windsor for the ceremonial arrival, complete with Royal salute, carriage procession, guard of Honor and national anthems. Charles and Camilla hosted a private exhibition of Nigerian items from the Royal collection and a state banquet in Saint George's Hall. Kate made a subtle diplomatic gesture by wearing a design by British Nigerian designer to Lukoku. William drew praise from Royal watchers after attending his Six Nations of rugby match in Cardiff, where he joined thousands of supporters and singing the Welsh national anthem before kickoff. Video of the moment circulated online and drew enthusiastic reactions. One supporter wrote, Prince William joined in with the Welsh national anthem at the Wales versus Italy rugby match today, sung in Welsh. The singing was fantastic. Keith marked Mother's Day more quietly this year, stepping away from

3:01 the usual tradition of sharing a family photograph. Last year, that tradition drew intense attention after a family photograph was found to have been digitally edited, prompting the princess to issue a rare public apology. This year was no personal Mother's Day post, though she did share a message through the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood. Today we celebrate every mother, kerr and caregiver whose steady love gives children the foundations to thrive. We also learned this week that Charlotte Griffith's editor at large at The Mail on Sunday, once new Kate was pregnant with her first child days before news became public, but chose not to report it. Griffiths was testifying in the High Court privacy trial and told the court she had attended a country house gathering where Prince William mentioned that Catherine would not be present because she was suffering from morning sickness. The comment effectively revealed the pregnancy. Griffith said, I missed a scoop to maintain my friendships and because I knew where the line was and had decided not to cross it. King Charles showed off an unexpected skill during a visit to Manchester briefly stepping behind the DJ decks to try his hand at mixing music. Christian Saint Louis, a twenty two year old DJ, showed the King how to operate the controls and how to load up the tracks. When it was Charles's turn, he cautiously adjusted the controls, nodding along to the beat and laughing when he accidentally turned the volume up.

4:22 Saint Louis praised the monarch's effort, saying he did great. He was fascinated by all the buttons. The telegraph went with the headline God Rave the King. There are also questions about whether the King's planned visit to the US should go ahead as scheduled. ITV's Chris Ship noted that the provisional dates are the end of April, but no one knows what will be happening in the Middle East at that time. Dame Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, has become the latest high profile politician to call for the visit to be delayed or even canceled. She told BC Radio four the last thing we want to do is have their majesties embarrassed. I think it needs to be thought through very careful as to whether or not it's appropriate to go ahead now or maybe have a limited program or delay it. That we can't just pretend there isn't a background of war more pouncing just a moment. The biggest story of the week wasn't happening in London or Manchester or Cardiff. It was happening in Hollywood. Variety published what can only be described as a devastating lead story titled Inside Megan and Harry's falling out with Netflix, and devastating is not an overstatement. The piece opens with a quote from a Netflix insider that sums up the entire situation in two words, We're done.

5:37 According to the detailed report, the relationship between Netflix and the Sussexes has been marked by early excitement, later frustration, and a growing sentence side the company that the creative results have not matched the original ambition of the deal. Archwall Productions was launched in twenty twenty with plans to create scripted and unscripted films and series for all ages, but over time, the report says, the company became less of a broad production hub and more of a platform for Megan's lifestyle brand. As Ever, the article says there has been growing fatigue inside Netflix over what some executives see as the Sussexes repeatedly repackaging the same story about leaving Royal Life. Variety says that pattern, combined with weak performance from later projects, has led some of the company to doubt whether there is much more value to extract from the partnership now. Netflix pushed back strongly on some of these claims. A spokesperson said it is absolutely inaccurate, as senior executives ted Saranders and Bellabaharia have lost faith in Harry and Meghan. Baharia herself offered a public statement defending the relationship, saying Archwell has been thoughtful and collaborative as a partner, and we've really enjoyed working with Harry and Meghan. They are deeply engaged in the storytelling process and bring a unique global perspective. But the article is filled with specific, uncomfortable details. Three insiders told Variety that Sarandas has become fed up with the couple. Two sources claim that Saranders had recently said he would not sit on a call with Meghan unless a lawyer was present, though the article notes it was not clear whether he was serious or joking. Netflix denied that outright, calling it

7:09 absolutely inaccurate. Meghan's lawyer, Michael J. Cump, also rejected it, saying this is so blatantly false. In fact, Megan texts and speaks with mister Sarranders regularly to his home Sands lawyers. The piece walks through several flashpoints in the relationship. It says many it Netflix were irritated by what they saw as poor communication around the Oprah Winfrey interview in March twenty twenty one. The article reports that people at the streamer only learned at the last minute that Harry and Meghan would sit down with Oprah and reveal deeply personal details. A spokesperson for the Sussexes denied that strongly, saying it is categorically false that Netflix was unaware. Then came Harry's memoir.

7:50 Spare Variety says chatter about a tell all book began building in twenty twenty one, and that Netflix approached the couple to discuss what a memoir might mean for the release of Harry and Meghan. According to the article, Meghan allegedly downplayed the likelihood and timing of such a book in conversations with SARRANDUS her spokesperson denied that too, saying it was categorically untrue and that there was open communication with Netflix months before release to coordinate timing. The article spends considerable time on the making of Harry and Meghan, and especially onto the editing process. Variety reports that during editing, Meghan appealed to director Liz Garber's to remove certain material from the series. According to two sources, Meghan said some interviews and footage would be upsetting to the royal family, especially because Commune Elizabeth had died only two months before the documentary was due to premiere. The article says some Netflix executives internally believed Meghan's request had another motive to preserve exclusive revelations for Harry's memoir and satisfy the publisher.

8:52 Netflix denied that interpretation. In the end, Harry and Meghan became a major hit, the highest documentary debut ever for Netflix, with eighty one point five million hours viewed in its first four days, but the article says that outside Netflix, opinion in Hollywood had already started to sour. It revisits the collapse of the Spotify deal and quotes Bill Simmons calling Harry and Meghan effing grifters. It also quotes then UTA chief Jeremy Zimmer saying, turns out Megan Markle was not a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent. Just because you're famous doesn't make you great at something. Variety says that even after the success of the documentary, the Sussexs struggled to attract creative collaborators. Scripted projects were often abandoned, including Perl the animated series. The report notes that these Sussexes still have not produced a single scripted project for Netflix in nearly six years. When Megan signed where WM in twenty twenty three, the goal was partly to strengthen her Hollywood standing. The Variety says her primary focus became building as ever rather than creating film and television projects. The article also claims that when three months of Megan joining WME, major members of the team assembled around her had dropped off the account, though WMI still represents her and Archwell. The article describes a period in twenty twenty four when Netflix tried to revive the relationship in a new way, suggesting it would support Archwell acquisitions at Sundance, but According to Variety, filmmakers and sales agents were not interested in involving Archwell. Netflix denied the broader

10:23 suggestion that Archwell had been rejected at Sundance, calling that categorically untrue. By twenty twenty five, the article says Netflix and Archwell had clearly changed direction. Netflix began treating Megan less as part of a duo and mor as an entrepreneur and solo figure. This is where the article turns to as Ever, and this is where things get particularly awkward. Variety says With Love Megan was designed to work hand in hand with as Ever, and that the series did reach Netflix's top ten, but the article says customer response to both the new show and the products was mixed. Archwell set it sold out inventory, but the article notes that Newsweek later reported a website glitch appeared to reveal large volumes of unsold stock, and then comes one of the most striking claims that by last August, after the second batch of With Love Megan episodes underperformed, Netflix was sitting on more than ten million dollars worth of as Ever inventory, including tea and baking mixes. According to the report, the company started giving the products a way to employees for free, laying them out on card tables in office buildings.

11:28 An Archball spokesperson responded by saying such giveaways from sample closets as standard studio practice. A Netflix source also said the original plan had always been to spin as ever back into Meghan's control. A Sussex spokesperson insisted that With Love Megan had not been abandoned completely, saying it will continuous seasonal specials. The piece also includes complaints about the Sussex's behavior in meetings. Of varietiesays Meghan has often presented Hollywood as her territory, and that in meetings she tends to talk over Prince Harry or recast his thoughts, sometimes while he is mid send. More specifically, three sources told Variety that Meghan sometimes disappears during the zoom calls, and that Netflix teams would later be told she had been offended by something said in the meeting. Meghan's attorney pushed back on that, emphasizing the realities of working from home.

12:14 He said Meghan works from home as the mother of young children aged four and six, and often encounters children who went to the space unexpectedly during a meeting. He added, that she is conscious of shielding her team from the distraction of children. The peace closes by asking whether Harry and Meghan are truly living the Hollywood dream they once imagined, and the timing couldn't have been more awkward because of the same day the Variety story dropped as Ever launched a new collaboration with High Camp supply a curated bloombox featuring Guardenia's white peonies, mint jasmine, along with Meghan's Herbal peppermint tea and Sage honey. Meghan Kelly gave those as EVA products a very public taste test this week, and she was not impressed. On her show, Kelly sampled several items after receiving them from a frequent guest. She did concede one positive point about the chocolate bars. The packaging is pretty I have to give her that, but the compliments ended there. Kelly mocked Michael's signature use of edible flowers, joking you have to put edible flowers on everything that you know may or may not actually be edible. She also bolked at the price, noting that chocolate said costs sixty two dollars. Kelly said she tried the raspberry spread, Sea salt dark chocolate first, and delivered a blunt verdict.

13:26 It was disgusting, absolutely disgusting. Cannot recommend you stay away from it more strongly than I do. She then moved on to another flavor described as short bread, cookies, bee pollen and milk chocolate, which she said also failed to impress. Also disgusting, don't recommend. Her reaction to the fruit spreads was slightly less harsh. After trying the raspberry spread on camera, she said the texture was kind of gross, but admitted the taste itself was fine. Yeah, it's good. It's your typical raspberry jam. She's charging twelve dollars JAF for this, and you can get jam that tastes just as good, if not better, for four. Kelly also criticized what the brand calls Keepsake packaging, showing viewers a small car that reads enjoy in Markel's handwriting. You're paying all that extra money so you can get Meghan to send you a stupid little car that reads enjoy in her lame little calligraphy, she said, describing the jam packaging as a very cheap, little cardboard circular thing. The Wall Street Journal also weighed in this week with a lengthy look at the Sussexes.

14:22 The piece observed that those who know Harry described him as happily settled into family life in Montecito, continuing to advocate for causes he cares about. But the journal noted that some who have spent time with him in recent months have also found him adrift and isolated, but Meghan chasing new pursuits as he passes the time in his sleeping new hometown. The article went on to say, the more Harry struggles to forge a new existence, the more he appears to be refocusing on what he knows best, riffing on his own persona of the amiable, accessible royal. There were other Sussex business stories circulating this week as well. Express published a piece by Jasmine Carrey proposing that Harry and Meghan should make another Netflix documentary, not like the twenty twenty two one, she wrote, but less harmful to the Royals and more insightful into Harry and Meghan's lives.

15:09 She suggested viewers might want to see Harry attending surfing lessons, walking the dogs, Megan, making jam and packing Archie in Lilibert's lunchboxes. Carry argued it would be interesting and harmless if they didn't return to slagging off the Royals. The Inquisitor took a look at what it calls the jam Wars, writing in this peculiar economy, the Sussex is now live in part celebrity, part expoil, part brand. The sweetness is never just sweetness, it's strategy. The piece noted that if as ever spread drops in the UK market, the optics get messy fast California Duchess versus British King, with both leaning on guard and cues and giftable packaging. The article also pointed out that Meghan describes scaling a home recipe into mass production as tedious, getting a little nerdy jammy, even name checking canning details like the bricks method. The Inquisitor concluded that's not the language of someone casually slapping her name on a label. It reads like a founder who wants credit for the un sexy work. Then there was the response to Tom Bower's new book. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan issued a sharp statement after excerpts from Betrayal, Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family were published by the Times. The spokesperson said, mister Bower's commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation. This is someone who has publicly stated the monarchy in fact depends on actually obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life. Language that speaks for itself.

16:35 He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met. Those interested in facts will look elsewhere. Those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him. Royal insider Deep Ground had an observation about that response. When you call a book deranged and tell people that those seeking conspiracy nowhere to find it, you have in effect produced rather effective advertising for it. Royal commentator Jenny Bond agreed, telling The Mirror it's rare these days to get any kind of response from Harry and Meghan. They prefer instead to ignore the noise and the gossip. But this time the pushback has been both swift and blistering. The book makes several controversial claims. One excerpt suggests that Queen Camilla once told a friend that Meghan had brainwashed Harry.

17:20 Other sections described tensions escalating during a meeting shortly after Harry and Meghan's honeymoon in twenty eighteen, including an alleged exchange where Meghan said to William, if you don't mind, get your finger out of my face. Bauer also revisits the well known disagreement involving Princess Charlotte's Brian's Maid's dress, claiming that Megan allegedly compared Charlotte unfavorably to Jessica mulroney's daughter Ivy, which he says caused Catherine to burst into tears. That contradicts Meghan's account to Oprah that she was the one who cried. Another claim from Bauer's earlier book involves the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Philip's funeral in twenty twenty one. Bower claims the monarch express relief about Meghan's absence and wrote that she told an aid, thank goodness, Megan, it's not coming. The Invictors Games Foundation rejected Bower's portrayal of the twenty twenty five Games in Canada, saying it is disappointing to see the Times give prominence to commentary that appears driven by a long established agenda rather than a genuine understanding of the invictor's games in the community.

18:19 It supports the focus should remain where it belongs, on the courage, recovery and camaraderie of those who have served on the Australian front. Meghan is reportedly concerned after details of her upcoming appearance in Sydney were leaked before the official announcement, according to New Idea, and the unexpected disclosure has left the dunchest uneasy about what other private information could potentially emerge. A source told the publication she was horrified when word got out ahead of the official announcement. She likes to be in control and the chaotic announcement about her arrival was anything but polished. While a leak about the trip isn't the end of the world, Meghan's losing sleep at what else could come out. Marketing executive Maggie Swift weighed in on as Eva's product problems, which have included reports of candles arriving without WIS and fruit spreads that were too running. Swift said, when customers start posting about problems like candles arriving without Wix, the Conversation online turns quickly negative reviews, Reddit threads, complaint posts. That becomes the brand's story unless the product experience improves. Early backlash does not automatically kill a brand. What matters is what happens next. On a more positive note, Meghan made a surprise visit to Children's Hospital Los Angeles last week, where she spent time with younger patients as part of the hospital's Make March Matter campaign. Photos showed Meghan wearing a black face mask because she painted with children, colored pictures with them, and spoke with staff when supporter wrote, this is incredibly touching, bringing comfort, creativity and smiles to children who were going through so much more powers in just a moment. Now we turned to Andrew, where the

19:51 news this week has been particularly grim. Royal author Tom Bauer claims that Andrew was recently approached about voluntarily stepping away from the line of succession. According to Bauer, and individual traveled to Sandringham last Saturday to raise the issue directly. Bauer said, as I understand it, someone went up to Sandringham from the Palace to suggest to Andrew that you voluntarily give up this session and he can do that. He can sign a form saying he announces the succession that ends it straight away, and that would be the cleanest solution. Bauer added that the messenger acknowledged the sensitivity of the task, stating, they gave me the dirty work to do, but it's a good thing they've started it. Former staff who worked around Andrew are reportedly anxious as investigators continue examining his past links to Jeffrey Epstein. According to claims made by sources familiar with the inquiry, investigators reviewing material linked to the wider Epstein inquiry are examining whether anyone working around Andrew may have had knowledge of suspicious behavior during visits connected to the financier. One source familiar with the situation said the discussion was preliminary in nature, but it was conducted in a very straightforward and candid way.

20:56 Investigators we're clearly trying to establish what background knowledge might have exist among people who previously held senior responsibility for royal security. The source continued that conversation alone as people who used to guard Andrew windsor extremely nervous about being interviewed about what they might have known or witnessed. None of them want to be seen as accessories or enablers, and none really want to be grilled on what they really knew about Andrew's slees. Another Palace Inside had suggested that anxiety is not limited to former protection officers. It is not just the police minders who are worried. Anyone who worked closely around Andrew Windsor is running scared right now because investigators appeared determined to reconstruct exactly what everyone knew at the time. Andrew was reportedly living a highly restricted and increasingly isolated life. Radar Online report of the people who know what is going on say Andrew spends much of his time in a fairly slobby, childish way, just getting up and wandering around at his pajamas without showering or changing, just eating and huffly playing video games and binge watching shows on Netflix on sofas, and the computer source said, from what people around the estate understand, Andrew is more or less confined to wood Farm for the time being. His routine seems very restricted, with clear limits on how freely he can come and go or what activities he can pursue. In the mirror, Julia Bannon described Andrew's new home with vivid detail. Standing on the other side of Marsh Farm's modest fence. It's difficult to believe you're looking at the home of the son of a monarch, molehill, puckered lawn, and all chosen for its privacy.

22:26 The abode is by no means hidden, just a few short meters away from the country lane where vans and tractors make that steady way along the bends. Passes by walking their dogs can easily see through the windows or note the ghostly steam billowing from pipes out into the chill air. A local resident told The Mirror, I don't really particularly like the things he's done, so I'm not very happy about it, to be honest. But you can't stop it, can you. You just have to get on with it, and hopefully he moves somewhere else. And there's one more wrinkle. Sources say Prince William is furious at the possibility that Hollywood could revive the royal drama series The Crown to dramatize the growing scandal surrounding Andrew. According to entertainment industry insiders, several major streaming platforms are exploring potential projects based on the unfolding controversy. One Palace aid said William is absolutely raging at the idea of The Crown coming back to cover the Andrew Windsor scandal. The family already felt the series pushed boundaries before, so the thought of it returning to dramatize this particular episode is deeply unwelcome. Another insider added from William's perspective revisiting the Andrew Windsor scandal in a new Crown storyline, which drive the whole issue back into the global spotlight yet again as he fights to rebuild its brand ahead of taking the throne. One production source noted, from a storytelling standpoint, the Andrew situation contains many of the ingredients that television executives look for. A famous institution, controversy at the highest level, and a family the people across the world instantly recognize.

23:55 When controversy enters the picture, the potential audience becomes even larger. This is the week Variety declared We're done. The week Bower's book drew a deranged conspiracy response, the week Andrew became detainee a the week Operation Ironville entered the lexicon deep Crown on the Sussex response to Bauer rather effective advertising for it, Deep Crown on relevance, goodwill is not the same as relevance, and somewhere between Megan Kelly's discussing Jam Verdict and Andrew wandering around in pajamas playing video games, the monarchy navigates another week. Whether the Sussex brand collides with Netflix reality and institutional survival depends on whether Operation Ironville finds what it's looking for. And there you have it.

24:37 If you'd like to email us addresses the Palace Intrigue at a gmail dot com. I'm Mark Francis My thanks to you, John McDermott. This is Palace Weekly, and good terms