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Calorogus, Shark Media ad Lo and welcome to Pallas Weekly.
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I am your host, Mark Francis. We'll go through the
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stories that appeared during the week on Palace Intrigue in
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a shorter form. If you'd like these full stories, please
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go back and listen to the full episodes of Palace Intrigue.
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Let's dive in. Prince Harry's latest late night cameo has
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prompted renewed criticism from viewers and public relations specialists, who
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argue the Duke's comedic instincts once again misfired. What began
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is a cheerful surprise appearance soon shifted toward awkwardness, raising
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fresh questions about the direction of his American reinvention. Royal
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Inside at Deep Crown tells Palace Intrigue the most telling
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moment wasn't anything Harry said. It was watching him say it.
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There's a desperation now that wasn't there even a year ago.
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He's becoming a man arguing with an institution that simply
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moved on without him. Colbert loved soft balls, Harry swung dutifully,
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and the British public barely noticed. That's not Pallace strategy.
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That's irrelevance, catching up with someone who mistook departure for leverage.
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When Colbert disputed Harry's claims that Americans are obsessed with royalty,
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Harry delivered one of the knights most talked about lines, Really,
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I hear you elected a king? The joke prompted audible
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booze from the studio. Audience. Pr advisor Mark Borkowski told
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The Daily Mail the skit was yet another embarrassment, describing
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the Sussexes as increasingly adrift as they chase celebrity. He argued,
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Harry's Colbert skit isn't embarrassing because he's chasing you as celebrity.
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It's embarrassing because he's doing it badly. Making fun of
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your own privilege only works when the audience believes you've
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transcended it. Harry hasn't The joke's land like a man
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reminding you of a punchline that expired three years ago.
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Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digital Harry's jab at President
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Trump on Colbert wasn't clever, it was reckless. Honestly, how
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does he think he can hold onto a royal title
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or take public swipes to the head of a foreign government.
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It's also a slap in the face. Buckingham palents put
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significant effort into a major state visit for President Trump
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to support diplomatic relations. Royal expert Hillary Fordage drew attention
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to the moment the audience turned on Harry. Harry did
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himself no favors and to hear that decidedly left leaning
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New York City audience boo him. He went from cheers
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and a standing ovation at first to that a few
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minutes summary if you ask me of his entire trajectory.
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Veteran Royal correspondent Phil Dampier said the reaction inside palace
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circles will be severe. The King, Prince William and courtiers
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will be horrified. Most dangerous of all were his jokes
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about Trump. The Royals can't start meddling in US politics
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without dangers, and he should have steered clear of the subject.
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Royal commentator Tom Sykes said the Palace is left with
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limited options. The titles must be removed, not as punishment
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but for clarity. Removing them draws a clear blue line
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between Prince Harry the royal and Harry the private citizen.
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It protects the monarchy from his volatility. Megan Markel's Netflix
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holiday special is open to a rare zero percent rating
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on Rotten Tomatoes. The score is based on five published
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critics reviews, with assessments ranging from comparisons to Stepford Wives
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to suggestions the program felt a little bit sad. The
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Independent awarded it one star, calling it not fun, enjoyable
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or even aspirational. The telegraphs Anita Singh called it quite
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mad and a little bit sad, awarding one star out
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of five. The Daily Mail's Annabel Fenwick Elliott issued the
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bluntest verdict, zero stars out of five. Even audiences were
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similarly unimpressed, awarding the series just thirteen percent among more
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than one hundred posted ratings. Viewers dismissed the program as
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boring and very inauthentic. In The Times, Hillary Rose writes,
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it's unfathomable. Four pointless crafts, three random friends, two unseen kids,
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one English princes and the duchess in the pear tree,
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or at least making pair syrup. Some people arrived, perhaps
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off the street, for brunch, also dressed in red pajamas.
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They eat pudding first with a knife and fork, then kish.
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Someone says that the greatest meals are those that leave
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your heart feeling full, and Meghan is visibly but prettily moved.
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The telegraph Sallison Pearson writes, what kind of woman thinks
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relatable is having friends over to craft various Christmas gifts
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and food stuffs, which apparently will lay down those nostalgic
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family memories. We were too busy working to pay the
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mortgage a dragging four days worth of festive food back
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from the supermarket. Viewers quickly concluded the special was not
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filmed this year. The clearest indication comes from a brief
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appearance by Megan's rescue beagle Guy, seen wandering through the
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Montecito property early in the program. Guy died in January
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twenty twenty five, as cameo confirms that filming occurred before
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his death. Tom Sykes writes in The Royalist, the message
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is we are done, and the medium is a passing
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shot of an elderly Beagle Guy padding mournfully through the
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frame like a ghost of contracts passed guy. You see
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diet last year. This means that this holiday special, which
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has been touted by Megan evidence of a strong and
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productive ongoing relationship with Netflix, was filmed at the same
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time as Series one, long before the couple were brutally
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released from their Megabucks contract. The timing of Meghan's holiday
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special release is in close proximity to the Princess of
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Wales Annual Together at Christmas Carol's Service, which drew more
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than sixteen hundred guests to Westminster Abbey for an evening
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built around themes of kindness, community and compassion. Catherine arrived
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ahead of her family, greeting performers and readers, including Kate Winslet,
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Joe Lockan, Chiwitel Edgy four. Inside the abbey, Prince William
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delivered a Bible reading from the pulpit, while the program
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blended traditional Carol's poetry and musical performances. In a personal
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message to guests, Catherine highlighted the importance of checking in
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on loved ones at a time when life can sometimes
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feel fragmented or uncertain. She reflected that Christmas speaks of
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love taking form in the simplest, most human ways, including
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small acts of kindness that contribute to the beautiful tapestry
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of life to which we all belong. The service will
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be broadcast on ATV one on Christmas Eve. The contrast
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between the two events could not be Starker. Royal expert
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Helena Chad told Fox News Digital Meghan does not live
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a life of service. Her holiday show can't be compared
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to the British royal family's work. Princess Catherine's concert brings
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together sixteen hundred guests who have shown love and kindness
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within their communities. King Charles heartfelt Christmas broadcasts are messages
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of service and hope, very different from Meghan's holiday show.
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More pounds in just a moment. The Thomas Michael's storyline
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continues to dominate headlines. After several days of attempting to
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make private contact, the Duchess of Sussex has succeeded in
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sending correspondence to her father, though the details remain murky.
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A spokesperson for Meghan said the Duchess had managed to
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get a letter to her father and accused The Daily
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Mail of breaching clear ethical boundaries. They said, given that
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the Daily Male reporter has remained at her father's bedside
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throughout broadcasting each interaction and breaching clear ethical boundaries, it
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has been exceedingly difficult for the Duchess to contact her
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father privately, despite her efforts over the past several days. However,
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Thomas Michael told outlets he was confused by the initial
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claims he had been contacted, insisting he had received absolutely
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no messages. He stressed that he has kept the same
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phone number for years, precisely so that his daughter could
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contact him instantly if she ever chose to. It later
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emerged that the supposed contact referred to by the sussexteent
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was an email sent to an address Thomas has not
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accessed in the last five years. Those close to him
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say he never uses email at all. Samantha Michael claimed
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on social media Houston, there's been no contact time to
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stop the PRBs MEDUSA. In The Express, columnist Meeker Smiles writes,
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let's get a long story short. She didn't do what
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any normal person would do and give her dad a call. No,
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that would be two you easy, and means she'd actually
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have to speak to him. Her representatives say she contacted
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him via wait for it, email. Anyone who has been
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on the planet for the last few years know that
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sending someone an email is about as effective as launching
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a carrier pigeon with a handwritten note. In The Standard,
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Melanie mcdonnad writes, the normal response of a child of
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any age when a parent is taken ill and may
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let's say it die, is to rush to the bedside,
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the matter where in the world that bedside may be.
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That's what normal people do. If Thomas Michael had been
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an abusive parent, Meghan's failure of duty might be comprehensible.
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But he wasn't. He looked after her. And if he
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is now frail and old and not looking as felt
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as she might like, it's all the more reason to
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rally round to what might be his deathbed. Royal expert
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Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digital Meghan has frantically tried
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to build a wholesome, family oriented brand in twenty twenty five,
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it would be in her best interest to show her
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elderly father, who had just lost a limb, some compassion. Otherwise,
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every time we see Megan and Harry lovingly engaged with
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wounded vets and victis, we will ask ourselves why they
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couldn't show Meghan's father the same compassion. Right now, she
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is simultaneously promoting a holiday special centered on family. At
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the very least, Thomas should be allowed to meet his grandchildren.
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Andrew mount Batten Windsor made a rare appearance at a
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royal family event, attending the christening of his granddaughter Athena
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at Saint James Palace. The former Duke arrived alone and
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ranged rover at a side entrance to the palace grounds.
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His former wife Sarah arrived separately earlier in the day.
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The low key christening appeared to be limited to close
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family and friends, with no senior working royals in attendance.
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It marked Andrew's first appearance at a royal ceremony since
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the funeral of the Duchess of Kent in September. A
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source told The Daily Mail Beatrice has of course invited
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her father, that things are not worn between them. However,
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she's worried about him. He is going through a low
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ebb with his mental health and she recognizes that he
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dotes on his grandchildren and it will be cruel to
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deprive him of the chance to attend the christening. Prince
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William celebrated a significant milestone on Tuesday as he marked
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twenty years as patron of Centrepoint, the homelessness charity. William
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was presented with a giant purple cake before meeting staff
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and young people who have been involved with the organization
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over the years. William also made a surprise appearance at
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a Christmas celebration in Windsor, joining the Welsh Guards at
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their barracks for a festive gathering. As Colonel of the regiment.
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William was photographed laughing with officers, many of whom were
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wearing green and blue paper party hats. During the visit,
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William helped serve Christmas dinner and shared a few festive drinks.
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Sir Roger Daughtry has been knighted by Prince William in
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recognition of his extraordinary contribution to music and charity. The
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WHO frontman received the honor on Wednesday, marking a career
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that has spanned more than six decades. British Vogue has
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released its first ever fifty Best Dressed list, with Catherine,
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Princess of Wales securing her place as one of the
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most influential dresses in the country. Kate appears among a
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select group described as eternal influences, alongside Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller,
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Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Victoria Beckham. What has drawn
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equal attention is a notable omission Began Markle does not
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feature on the list despite a year of highly curated
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public appearances and visible efforts to reassert her fashion credentials,
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including a widely publicized appearance at Paris Fashion Week more
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Palace in just a moment. King Charles has attended an
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annual Advent service at Westminster Abbey, joining senior Christian clerics
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from the United Kingdom and the Middle East. In a
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forward to the official order of service, the King wrote,
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it is a great joy to gather with you in
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the most glorious setting of Westminster Abbey as we celebrate
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the light, hope, and above all piece of this season
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of Advent. Princess Anne has won praise from royal watchers
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for the understated way she chose to sign her annual
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Christmas card. The card features a photograph of Anne and
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her husband Tim Lawrence, and inside it reads simply with
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best wishes for a happy and peaceful Christmas and New
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Year from Anne and Tim. The absence of Anne's title
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immediately caught attention. Real royals don't need to announce themselves,
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wrote one commenter. Some observers drew comparisons with Megan Markle's
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frequent use of a duchess title Desplaite no longer being
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a working royal, The royal family appears to be shifting
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its center of gravity away from London, with Windsor increasingly
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emerging as the monarchy's operational base. The Sunday Times reports
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that the Royal Mews will relocate from Buckingham Palace to
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Windsor Castle in the new year. Sources close to the
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king say the couple are very comfortable at Clarence House,
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with one adding I know he is no fan of
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the Big House, as he calls the Palace. He doesn't
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see it as a visible future home or a house
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that's fit for purpose in the modern world. The Prince
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and Princess of Wales have made a similar choice. William
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and Catherine moved into Forest Lodge in Windsor only weeks
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ago and plan to keep it as their family base
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even once William eventually ascends the throne. This is the
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week the numbers told the story zero percent on rotten tomatoes,
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Zero senior royals at Andrew's granddaughter's christening, zero phone calls
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to a dying father, zero's self awareness about any of it.
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Harry makes Trump jokes to a booing audience, while William
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Knights Roger Daughtry, Meghan films with a dead dog, while
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Kate hosts sixteen hundred guests at Westminster Abbey. Thomas Michael
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loses a leg and gets an email to an address
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he isn't checked in five years. Andrew attends his granddaughter's
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christening alone. The Working Royals work, the Grifters grift, and
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somewhere in Montecito someone is trying to figure out how
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a holiday special filmed last year with a deceased beagle
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somehow represents a strong and productive ongoing relationship with Netflix.