What's next for Andrew in Widening Scandal. Edward announce new tour and Sophie announce ne

0:03 Calarogus Shark Media now lo and welcome through Pallace Intrigue. I am your host. Mark Francis, a criminal defense solicitor specializing in sex crimes, has offered a clear eyed assessment of what Thames Valley Police are likely to face as their investigation into Andrew mount Batton, Windsor Widens. Marcus Johnstone, Managing director of PCD Solicitors, said the expansion of the inquiry into potential sexual misconduct was not a surprise. This is a sad day for the royal family, but not a shock really based on what we all feared and how we assume this would play out, he said, adding that the original misconduct in public office charge was always likely to serve as a basis for broader scrutiny of Andrew's relationship with Epstein. On the question of what happens next, Johnstone was direct about the difficulties ahead. Without a formal complaint from a victim, he said, proving sexual offenses would be very difficult. Officers are currently assessing a claim from a woman who alleges she was sent to Royal Lodge by Epstein for sex with Andrew in twenty ten before being given a tour of Buckingham Palace. Police have contacted her lawyer and confirmed they are ready to proceed whenever she chooses to come forward. Johnstone said the force will likely be investigating a range of potential offenses, including people trafficking prostitution and operating a brothel, but stressed that any prosecution would require credible evidence from victims willing to engage.

1:35 He noted specifically that the question of whether women who arrived on Epstein's private jet are prepared to assist Thames Valley police remains unanswered. Andrew denies all wrongdoing. The investigation police have said will take many months. Even Andrew's eventual death could stir things up for the royals and inside a toll radar online. For years, there has been enormous curiosity about how and who continues to maintain his lifestyle after effectively being removed from public royal life. The assumption inside royal circles is that his will could finally expose the true state of his finances, his investments, his property arrangements, and exactly how wealthy he really is. What makes this especially explosive is that Andrew no longer occupies the protected status he once had as a senior working royal. Traditionally, royal wills are sealed to preserve privacy and protect the dignity of the institution, but there is growing belief that Andrew's estate may not receive the same protection because of his changed status and the damaged cause by the Epstein scandal.

2:38 A palace aid said the Epstein scandal fundamentally changed how Andrew is viewed both publicly and institutionally, and it may now effectively lead to his finances finally being unraveled in public. Any future disclosure of his finances would attract extraordinary attention because people believe there are still unanswered questions about privilege, money and how he has been detected for so long. Royal finances are facing a rare public funding cut, with the BBC reporting that the Sovereign Grant is expected to be reduced for the first time since it was introduced in twenty twelve. The issue comes amid renewed scrutiny of royal money following the scandals surrounding Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and questions over value for money at royal properties. BBC Royal correspondent Shawn Coughlin wrote that if Queen Elizabeth once described nineteen ninety two as her Annus horribilus, King Charles reign has now had what it might be called, it's Andrew Horribillus.

3:34 The Sovereign Grant currently stands at a record level, boosted temporarily to help pay for repairs at Buckingham Palace, but Treasury ministers have already indicated that the grant is expected to fall once those works are completed. Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Livermore, told the House of Lords in March the government is committed to bringing forward legislation to reset the grant to a lower level from the twenty twenty seven to twenty eight once Buckingham Palace reservicing works aren't completed. The funding review comes as MPs on the Public Accounts Committee prepared to examine the Crown of State and leasing arrangements for properties occupied by members of the Royal family. That inquiry follows public anger over Andrew mount Batten Windsor's former residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor and broader questions about whether royal property arrangements represent good value for taxpayers. Royal biographer Andrew Lowney said Andrew's downfall had raised wider questions about royal finances. Lowney said it's opened a can of worms for the rest of the Royal family about their own financeers and I hope there's more scrutiny.

4:33 Is they need to be more open. The BBC also quoted a former senior civil servant criticizing Andrew's travel expenses during his time as Trade Envoy. The former official said, I couldn't believe it. It was like it wasn't real money. They weren't spending any of their own money. Constitutional expert Craig Prescott said royal finances have long been a weak point for the monarchy. Prescott said it's always a weak spot. He added, the royal family look like they have fantastic wealth, and so the perception is of tax payers money going to people who are very, very wealthy in the first place, and it's never a good look. However, Prescott also said if you want to have a monarchy that carries out public functions, then the state should pay for that fundamentally.

5:16 The BBC noted that the current grant is calculated as a percentage of Crown Estate profits, even though the Crown Estate itself pays its profits to the Treasury, and the grant is paid for the public funds. A controversial feature known as the golden ratchet, has historically allowed the grant to rise but prevented it from falling. The Treasury says forthcoming legislation would allow one off cut for twenty seven to twenty eight, while keeping that mechanism in place. A Treasury spokesman said the golden ratchet would still stay long term. Critics are calling for greater openness. Former Minister Norman Baker wrote it is instructive that whenever changes to weal finances have been announced by governments over the last fifty years, we are always told they are prudent and represent good value for money. He added, yet they nearly end up increasingly significantly the income for the royals. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davies said in Parliament we must build a culture of transparency and accountability. Labor MP Rachel Maskell said unaccountable power must not hide, privilege must not be protected, money must not be accounted for. Historian Anna Whitelock said there was once a public reverence for the royal family, but that modern questions now focus on accountability, transparency, power, influence and money, which might well be thought to she had much needed light and heat on the monarchy. She added that the Royals receive public funding, yet the financing of the monarchy is rarely a matter for public discussion, and we are left quite deliberately in the dark. More palaceing just a moment. Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of

6:53 Edinburgh have a new portrait and a new overseas tour, and royal watchers appear thoroughly pleased about both. Buckingham Palace announced this week that the couple will travel to Portugal from June the first for a three day visit marking the six hundred and fortieth anniversary of the Treaty of Windsor and celebrating the bilateral relationship between the two countries. It will be the first royal visit to Portugal since twenty eleven, when King Charles and Queen Camilla, then Prince and Princess of Wales, last made the trip. The program will take them from Lisbon to Porto and will focus on causes closely associated with the couple, including youth opportunity, sports, inclusion and women, peace and security, visits to historic sites reflecting UK Portugal heritage, and meetings with students and community organizations are also planned. Alongside the announcement, the Palace released a new portrait of the couple, shot by photographer Millie Pilkington.

7:49 Sophie is in a buttercup yellow dress, Edward in a navy suit, both beaming. The response online was warm to the point of enthusiasm, with Royal Watches describing them as an absolute set, adorable and perhaps most succeedully, a couple who are never seeking the limelight but always stepping up. That last phrase captures something real. Edward and Sophie have quietly become one of the more trusted and productive partnerships in the working monarchy, Dependable in a way the institution currently needs rather badly. Portugal, by all indications, will be in good hands. And there you have it. If you'd like to email us or addresses the palasintrig at gmail dot com, please follow us on Apple or on Spotify, and on Spotify you can leave a comment if you're enjoying the show, or if you're not. I'm Mike Francis.

8:37 Thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace intrigue and good terms