May 25, 2026

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

Show Notes
Transcript

The scandal involving Andrew widens. Plus, the monarchy faces a rare funding cut amid growing demands for transparency, and a landmark aristocratic inheritance ruling could eventually reshape succession rules across Britain’s noble families — perhaps even the Royal Family itself. Sophie and Edward announce a new trip.

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Calarogus Shark Media now lo and welcome through Pallace Intrigue.

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I am your host. Mark Francis, a criminal defense solicitor

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specializing in sex crimes, has offered a clear eyed assessment

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of what Thames Valley Police are likely to face as

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their investigation into Andrew mount Batton, Windsor Widens. Marcus Johnstone,

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Managing director of PCD Solicitors, said the expansion of the

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inquiry into potential sexual misconduct was not a surprise. This

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is a sad day for the royal family, but not

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a shock really based on what we all feared and

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how we assume this would play out, he said, adding

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that the original misconduct in public office charge was always

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likely to serve as a basis for broader scrutiny of

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Andrew's relationship with Epstein. On the question of what happens next,

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Johnstone was direct about the difficulties ahead. Without a formal

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complaint from a victim, he said, proving sexual offenses would

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be very difficult. Officers are currently assessing a claim from

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a woman who alleges she was sent to Royal Lodge

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by Epstein for sex with Andrew in twenty ten before

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being given a tour of Buckingham Palace. Police have contacted

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her lawyer and confirmed they are ready to proceed whenever

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she chooses to come forward. Johnstone said the force will

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likely be investigating a range of potential offenses, including people

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trafficking prostitution and operating a brothel, but stressed that any

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prosecution would require credible evidence from victims willing to engage.

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He noted specifically that the question of whether women who

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arrived on Epstein's private jet are prepared to assist Thames

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Valley police remains unanswered. Andrew denies all wrongdoing. The investigation

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police have said will take many months. Even Andrew's eventual

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death could stir things up for the royals and inside

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a toll radar online. For years, there has been enormous

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curiosity about how and who continues to maintain his lifestyle

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after effectively being removed from public royal life. The assumption

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inside royal circles is that his will could finally expose

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the true state of his finances, his investments, his property arrangements,

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and exactly how wealthy he really is. What makes this

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especially explosive is that Andrew no longer occupies the protected

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status he once had as a senior working royal. Traditionally,

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royal wills are sealed to preserve privacy and protect the

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dignity of the institution, but there is growing belief that

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Andrew's estate may not receive the same protection because of

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his changed status and the damaged cause by the Epstein scandal.

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A palace aid said the Epstein scandal fundamentally changed how

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Andrew is viewed both publicly and institutionally, and it may

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now effectively lead to his finances finally being unraveled in public.

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Any future disclosure of his finances would attract extraordinary attention

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because people believe there are still unanswered questions about privilege,

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money and how he has been detected for so long.

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Royal finances are facing a rare public funding cut, with

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the BBC reporting that the Sovereign Grant is expected to

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be reduced for the first time since it was introduced

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in twenty twelve. The issue comes amid renewed scrutiny of

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royal money following the scandals surrounding Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and

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questions over value for money at royal properties. BBC Royal

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correspondent Shawn Coughlin wrote that if Queen Elizabeth once described

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nineteen ninety two as her Annus horribilus, King Charles reign

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has now had what it might be called, it's Andrew Horribillus.

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The Sovereign Grant currently stands at a record level, boosted

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temporarily to help pay for repairs at Buckingham Palace, but

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Treasury ministers have already indicated that the grant is expected

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to fall once those works are completed. Financial Secretary to

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the Treasury, Lord Livermore, told the House of Lords in

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March the government is committed to bringing forward legislation to

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reset the grant to a lower level from the twenty

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twenty seven to twenty eight once Buckingham Palace reservicing works

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aren't completed. The funding review comes as MPs on the

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Public Accounts Committee prepared to examine the Crown of State

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and leasing arrangements for properties occupied by members of the

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Royal family. That inquiry follows public anger over Andrew mount

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Batten Windsor's former residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor and

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broader questions about whether royal property arrangements represent good value

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for taxpayers. Royal biographer Andrew Lowney said Andrew's downfall had

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raised wider questions about royal finances. Lowney said it's opened

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a can of worms for the rest of the Royal

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family about their own financeers and I hope there's more scrutiny.

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Is they need to be more open. The BBC also

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quoted a former senior civil servant criticizing Andrew's travel expenses

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during his time as Trade Envoy. The former official said,

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I couldn't believe it. It was like it wasn't real money.

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They weren't spending any of their own money. Constitutional expert

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Craig Prescott said royal finances have long been a weak

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point for the monarchy. Prescott said it's always a weak spot.

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He added, the royal family look like they have fantastic wealth,

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and so the perception is of tax payers money going

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to people who are very, very wealthy in the first place,

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and it's never a good look. However, Prescott also said

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if you want to have a monarchy that carries out

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public functions, then the state should pay for that fundamentally.

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The BBC noted that the current grant is calculated as

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a percentage of Crown Estate profits, even though the Crown

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Estate itself pays its profits to the Treasury, and the

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grant is paid for the public funds. A controversial feature

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known as the golden ratchet, has historically allowed the grant

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to rise but prevented it from falling. The Treasury says

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forthcoming legislation would allow one off cut for twenty seven

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to twenty eight, while keeping that mechanism in place. A

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Treasury spokesman said the golden ratchet would still stay long term.

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Critics are calling for greater openness. Former Minister Norman Baker

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wrote it is instructive that whenever changes to weal finances

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have been announced by governments over the last fifty years,

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we are always told they are prudent and represent good

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value for money. He added, yet they nearly end up

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increasingly significantly the income for the royals. Liberal Democrat leader

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Sir Ed Davies said in Parliament we must build a

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culture of transparency and accountability. Labor MP Rachel Maskell said

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unaccountable power must not hide, privilege must not be protected,

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money must not be accounted for. Historian Anna Whitelock said

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there was once a public reverence for the royal family,

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but that modern questions now focus on accountability, transparency, power,

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influence and money, which might well be thought to she

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had much needed light and heat on the monarchy. She

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added that the Royals receive public funding, yet the financing

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of the monarchy is rarely a matter for public discussion,

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and we are left quite deliberately in the dark. More

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palaceing just a moment. Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of

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Edinburgh have a new portrait and a new overseas tour,

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and royal watchers appear thoroughly pleased about both. Buckingham Palace

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announced this week that the couple will travel to Portugal

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from June the first for a three day visit marking

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the six hundred and fortieth anniversary of the Treaty of

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Windsor and celebrating the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

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It will be the first royal visit to Portugal since

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twenty eleven, when King Charles and Queen Camilla, then Prince

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and Princess of Wales, last made the trip. The program

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will take them from Lisbon to Porto and will focus

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on causes closely associated with the couple, including youth opportunity, sports,

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inclusion and women, peace and security, visits to historic sites

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reflecting UK Portugal heritage, and meetings with students and community

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organizations are also planned. Alongside the announcement, the Palace released

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a new portrait of the couple, shot by photographer Millie Pilkington.

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Sophie is in a buttercup yellow dress, Edward in a

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navy suit, both beaming. The response online was warm to

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the point of enthusiasm, with Royal Watches describing them as

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an absolute set, adorable and perhaps most succeedully, a couple

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who are never seeking the limelight but always stepping up.

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That last phrase captures something real. Edward and Sophie have

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quietly become one of the more trusted and productive partnerships

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in the working monarchy, Dependable in a way the institution

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currently needs rather badly. Portugal, by all indications, will be

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in good hands. And there you have it. If you'd

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like to email us or addresses the palasintrig at gmail

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dot com, please follow us on Apple or on Spotify,

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and on Spotify you can leave a comment if you're

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enjoying the show, or if you're not. I'm Mike Francis.

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Thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace intrigue and good

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terms

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

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