Speaker 1: Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intry Game,
Speaker 1: your host Mark Francis. Speculation is swirling about a potential
Speaker 1: thaw in the icy relationship between King Charles and Prince
Speaker 1: Harry thanks to the rumored departure of Sir Clive Orderton,
Speaker 1: charles longtime aid and a figure Harry reportedly despises. In
Speaker 1: his memoir Spare, Harry dubbed Alderton the Wasp, describing him
Speaker 1: as a master of passive aggression with a pensant for
Speaker 1: striking unexpectedly. Harry painted a vivid picture of the Aid
Speaker 1: as a lengthy, charming, arrogant and adept at feigning politeness
Speaker 1: before delivering his infamous sting. This characterization left no doubt
Speaker 1: about Harry's animosity towards one of Buckingham Pallace's key players. Now,
Speaker 1: Sir Clive is reportedly considering retirement, a move that some
Speaker 1: Royal insiders believe could pave the way for reconciliation between
Speaker 1: Harryry and his father. Princess Diana's biographer, seen A Brown,
Speaker 1: writing in her Fresh Hell Substack blog, suggested that Alderton's
Speaker 1: exit might create a new friendlier path for negotiations Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: Emily Andrew, royal correspondent for Woman magazine, added fuel to
Speaker 1: the fire, speculating that Sir Clive might even be in
Speaker 1: the running for the position of US ambassador. She noted
Speaker 1: that his departure could eliminate a major obstacle in mending
Speaker 1: the fractured bond between Charles and Harry. While Sir Clive
Speaker 1: has been a critical figure in Charles in a circle
Speaker 1: for nearly two decades, his alleged role in deepening the
Speaker 1: rift between Harry and the royal household cannot be ignored,
Speaker 1: With Harry reportedly eager to reconcile after years of tension
Speaker 1: exacerbated by his move to California in twenty twenty with
Speaker 1: Megan mikel Orderton's rumored departure could mark a turning point.
Speaker 1: For now, Buckingham Palace has remained tight lept on the matter,
Speaker 1: leaving royal watchers to wonder whether the King and his
Speaker 1: youngest son might finally find common ground without the wasp
Speaker 1: buzzing around. Zara and Mike Tindall are reportedly ready to
Speaker 1: answer the call if Prince William needs them. According to
Speaker 1: royal expert Jenny Bond, the couple have seeing their popularity
Speaker 1: soar thanks to their relatable charm and down to earth demeanor.
Speaker 1: Despite not holding royal titles, their connection to the monarchy
Speaker 1: remains strong. Speaking to gb News, Bond highlighted the Tindall's
Speaker 1: unique position within the royal family. They obviously have the
Speaker 1: cachet of being so much part of the extended Royal family,
Speaker 1: she explained, adding that they've managed to leverage their royal
Speaker 1: ties commercially without controversy. While the Tindalls enjoy the freedom
Speaker 1: of private life, Bond suggests they are happy to lend
Speaker 1: their support to William if needed, as they did during
Speaker 1: a garden party last year. However, she clarified this wouldn't
Speaker 1: extend to official, working Royal roles, noting, nor do I
Speaker 1: think the public would want to fund any more working Royals.
Speaker 1: Lord Ivor mount Batten, King Charles's second cousin and the
Speaker 1: first openly gay member of the extended Royal family, is
Speaker 1: part of the cast of The Traitors season three. The
Speaker 1: reality competition hosted by Alan Cumming, Pitt's contestants against each
Speaker 1: other in a mix of strategy, deception and alliances. Mount
Speaker 1: Batten's appearance marks his latest foray into reality television following
Speaker 1: his role in Keeping Up with the Aristocrats, a behind
Speaker 1: the scenes look at Britain's aristocracy. His family ties placed
Speaker 1: him as second cousin to King Charles and a first
Speaker 1: cousin once removed to Prince Philip. Despite his royal lineage,
Speaker 1: Mount Batten's life has been anything but conventional for the
Speaker 1: British aristocracy. After marrying Penelope Thompson in nineteen ninety four
Speaker 1: and having three daughters, the couple separated in twenty ten,
Speaker 1: and he later came out as gay in twenty sixteen.
Speaker 1: Two years later, he made history by marrying James Coyle,
Speaker 1: a flight attendant, in the first same sex marriage within
Speaker 1: the extended royal family. On The Traitors, Mount Batten will
Speaker 1: compete alongside stars from shows like Survivor and RuPaul's Drag Race.
Speaker 1: Americans can find the program on Peacock More Pallacy Just
Speaker 1: a Moment, pr expert Renee Smith is impressed by the
Speaker 1: latest incarnation of Megan, telling The Express, Meghan's recent ventures
Speaker 1: are quite the spectacle. It's been a great treat to
Speaker 1: see how they've been received at first glance. The meticulously
Speaker 1: curated posts, the Running on the Beach Drawing twenty twenty
Speaker 1: five in the sand with the giggle at the end,
Speaker 1: and the show's polished trailer might seem overly saccer and
Speaker 1: perhaps even contrived. However, this alignment with the influencer archetype
Speaker 1: appears to be Megan finally embracing her authentic self. After
Speaker 1: years of striving for a more profound public personage, is
Speaker 1: now presenting a version that resonates with her true inclinations.
Speaker 1: The lavish settings at a hired mansion, the idealized portrayals
Speaker 1: of domestic bliss, and the aspirational lifestyle content are not deviations,
Speaker 1: but rather reflections of a genuine brand identity. This approach
Speaker 1: seems to cater to an audience that few such opulence
Speaker 1: as the pinnacle of aspiration for once its screams on brand.
Speaker 1: From a PR perspective, I actually think that this is
Speaker 1: a smart long term move for her. In PR, While
Speaker 1: we can shape narratives and use a bit of smoke
Speaker 1: and mirrors, working with someone who's being authentic makes the
Speaker 1: job infinitely easier. Crafting Meghan's story is a lifestyle aspirational
Speaker 1: influencer for her target demographic would be one of the
Speaker 1: easiest parts of this job because it finally feels aligned
Speaker 1: with who she truly is. In the Express, Meeker Smiles
Speaker 1: tells us, Oh, just put it out there. I know
Speaker 1: Meghan Markel Fan Smiles writes, I hate to judge people
Speaker 1: without knowing them, but I have made up my mind
Speaker 1: that the Sussex has sold their family down the river
Speaker 1: with their infamous bombshell accusations. It was a pretty dreadful
Speaker 1: deed that I think will tarnish them forever. I have
Speaker 1: done my best to inform myself to arrive at my
Speaker 1: verdict on the pair. I have read the books, watch
Speaker 1: the documentaries, listen to Megan's ill fated podcast, and I
Speaker 1: feel I need extra credit for this one. Even attempted
Speaker 1: to watch Polo, the couple's latest Netflix flop, and in
Speaker 1: addition to their betrayal of their once nearest and dearest,
Speaker 1: one thing always seems to get my goat, and that's
Speaker 1: Meghan's desperate efforts to control her image. Her latest project,
Speaker 1: with Love Meghan, is a classic example of this. Pristine
Speaker 1: son Dapple Kitchen Meghan skipping through gorgeous gardens with a
Speaker 1: wicker basket nestled in the crook of her arm, glamorous
Speaker 1: chats with even more glamorous pals. As she is a
Speaker 1: mum of two kids under six, I would doubt this
Speaker 1: is even a duchess's reality, and if it is, then
Speaker 1: not without copious amounts of staff that are conveniently out
Speaker 1: of focus. But hey, lots of us are guilty of
Speaker 1: sticking an occasional filter on life, perhaps just not in
Speaker 1: such a calculated effort to cash in. Her initial two
Speaker 1: posts on her re launched Instagram account at Meghan were
Speaker 1: as yawnsome as they were predictable. Once saw her ringing
Speaker 1: in the new Year in a candid but clearly not
Speaker 1: jog along the beach, writing twenty twenty five in the
Speaker 1: sand decked out and designer togs costing thousands, Those with
Speaker 1: an eagle eye were quick to point out that she'd
Speaker 1: already practiced the so called spontaneous moment a number of times,
Speaker 1: with an older attempt of the new Year just visible.
Speaker 1: The other post is the trailer for her afore mentioned
Speaker 1: show filmed at home with Meghan in a home that's
Speaker 1: not hers. But at third post, God it caught me.
Speaker 1: It's a montage of her beloved dog Guy, who has
Speaker 1: recently passed away, she said, if you followed me on
Speaker 1: Instagram back in the day, you saw a lot of him,
Speaker 1: and on the tig too. He was with me at suits,
Speaker 1: when I got engaged and then married, when I became
Speaker 1: a mom. He was with me for everything, the quiet,
Speaker 1: the chaos, the car, the comfort. She added, thank you
Speaker 1: for so many years of unconditional love, my sweet guy.
Speaker 1: You filled my life in ways you'll never know. As ever, Megan,
Speaker 1: Megan's message will set off anyone who has loved a pet,
Speaker 1: and probably those who haven't too so. As much as
Speaker 1: I was ready to write off Meghan's new Instagram account,
Speaker 1: I am now a tiny step closer to not immediately
Speaker 1: branding it a shiny new PR machine churning out slick,
Speaker 1: heavily altered versions of reality. And maybe rather wisely, that
Speaker 1: was her point. And there you haven't like the email.
Speaker 1: Also her addresses the Palace intrig at gmail dot com.
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Speaker 1: My thanks to John McDermott. This is Ballance, Intrigue and
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