2020 was a seismic year for the Royal Family as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced plans to leave Britain and to relinquish royal duties, so much so that few thought 2021 would provide as much drama.

However, the fallout from Megxit has continued to be drawn out, providing a series of unexpected twists that have proved incredibly uncomfortable for the Royal Family. 

Each week Palace Confidential has asked our experts to dissect all the developments: from the accusations and recriminations around interviews to the multimillion-pound deals; and from a controversial internal investigation to the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres in the royal households. 

In this special episode, we’ve put together some of the biggest talking points and most jaw-dropping moments from the Harry and Meghan story of 2021.

2020 was a seismic year for the Royal Family as the Duke&nbsp;and&nbsp;Duchess of Sussex&nbsp;announced plans to leave Britain and to relinquish royal duties, so much so that few thought 2021 would provide as much drama.
However, the fallout from Megxit has continued to be drawn out, providing a series of unexpected twists that have proved incredibly uncomfortable for the Royal Family.&nbsp;
Each week Palace Confidential has asked our experts to dissect all the developments: from the accusations and recriminations around interviews to the multimillion-pound deals; and from a controversial internal investigation to the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres in the royal households.&nbsp;
In this special episode, we&rsquo;ve put together some of the biggest talking points and most jaw-dropping moments from the Harry and Meghan story of 2021.

Palace Confidential is weekly royal podcast on the British royal family. Host Jo Elvin, editor of You magazine, speaks to a mix of the Mail's royal experts, celebrity columnists and former palace staff for a mix of exclusive news, sharp analysis and a look back at some fascinating moments in the House of Windsor's history.

Palace Confidential is weekly royal podcast on the British royal family. Host Jo Elvin, editor of You magazine, speaks to a mix of the Mail's royal experts, celebrity columnists and former palace staff for a mix of exclusive news, sharp analysis and a look back at some fascinating moments in the House of Windsor's history.

Palace Confidential

Harry and Meghan vs the royals: Palace Confidential looks back at 2021’s most controversial moments

The Duchess of Sussex needs to learn that a key part of interviewing is to listen to your subject – that’s the view of the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden.

Meghan’s much-anticipated podcast Archetypes launched this week with an interview with tennis star Serena Williams, but it was Meghan’s revelations about life in the Royal Family that seemed to attract the most media interest.

‘It was very much “that’s enough about me, what do you think of me?”’ Eden says. ‘Instead of Serena making the headlines, all the headlines have been about Meghan’s stories and the things she’s disclosed during this podcast and it was a missed opportunity, certainly for Serena.  Given that, I’m not sure famous people will be queuing up to go on it, because they’ll know it’s actually all about the supposed interviewer.’

The Daily Mail’s Editor at Large Richard Kay meanwhile, believes that the way that Meghan and Harry (who makes a brief appearance in Archetypes) have gone about their new broadcasting career shows the differences between them at their in-laws.

‘They are competing with the usually footsure Cambridges, who seem to go deftly about their royal routine without causing offence or making it all about them,’ he tells the programme. ‘Harry and Meghan seem to think the only way to avoid being crowded out is to make it just about them.’

However, Kay argues that one area that the Cambridges didn’t handle so deftly in Kay’s view, was announcing that they were taking on another property as the country battles a cost-of-living crisis.

‘Timing is everything and the Royals are very sensitive to how they are perceived by the public and it just looks slightly extravagant, slightly over-the-top,’ he adds.

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, Daily Mail columnist and author of Queen of Our Times reflects on the relationship between Her Majesty and her daughter-in-law.

‘I think there is this idea that Diana’s death somehow was an electric cattle prod that suddenly turned this Victorian institution into a modern institution… that’s a complete misreading,’ he says, adding ‘certainly there was a greater openness to doing things differently, that was very much a Diana legacy if you like.’

The Duchess of Sussex needs to learn that a key part of interviewing is to listen to your subject – that’s the view of the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden.
Meghan’s much-anticipated podcast Archetypes launched this week with an interview with tennis star Serena Williams, but it was Meghan’s revelations about life in the Royal Family that seemed to attract the most media interest.
‘It was very much “that’s enough about me, what do you think of me?”’ Eden says. ‘Instead of Serena making the headlines, all the headlines have been about Meghan’s stories and the things she’s disclosed during this podcast and it was a missed opportunity, certainly for Serena.  Given that, I’m not sure famous people will be queuing up to go on it, because they’ll know it’s actually all about the supposed interviewer.’
The Daily Mail’s Editor at Large Richard Kay meanwhile, believes that the way that Meghan and Harry (who makes a brief appearance in Archetypes) have gone about their new broadcasting career shows the differences between them at their in-laws.
‘They are competing with the usually footsure Cambridges, who seem to go deftly about their royal routine without causing offence or making it all about them,’ he tells the programme. ‘Harry and Meghan seem to think the only way to avoid being crowded out is to make it just about them.’
However, Kay argues that one area that the Cambridges didn’t handle so deftly in Kay’s view, was announcing that they were taking on another property as the country battles a cost-of-living crisis.
‘Timing is everything and the Royals are very sensitive to how they are perceived by the public and it just looks slightly extravagant, slightly over-the-top,’ he adds.
Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, Daily Mail columnist and author of Queen of Our Times reflects on the relationship between Her Majesty and her daughter-in-law.
‘I think there is this idea that Diana’s death somehow was an electric cattle prod that suddenly turned this Victorian institution into a modern institution… that’s a complete misreading,’ he says, adding ‘certainly there was a greater openness to doing things differently, that was very much a Diana legacy if you like.’

Me-me-Meghan’s podcast fails to impress and have the Cambridges made a PR blunder over their new home?

HE Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s trip to Europe next month will be about ‘having their cake and eating it’, believes Sarah Vine. The Mail columnist told our royal talkshow Palace Confidential that the trip will be a chance for the pair to fulfil their dream of picking and choosing their duties.
‘The working royals are on quite a punishing schedule of day-to-day stuff, most of which doesn’t get any coverage, most of which isn’t very glamorous, most of which doesn’t involve wearing very expensive earrings and necklaces and saying very meaningful things about poor people, which is what Meghan likes to do,’ she tells the programme.
‘They don’t have to do that any more: They can come in, sweep in, get lots of coverage and then they can go home.’
Royal correspondent and author Victoria Murphy says it marks a step on the road to the new life that they have planned.
‘Despite the criticism that they get, they have kind of achieved what they want, because they are now doing the things they want to do in the way that they want to do them and they have that control,’ she says. ‘And because of their past roles and their links to the Royal Family they will always be relevant.’
This week social media has been awash with rumours that the Sussexes will renew their vows as part of a new Netflix reality show. Charlotte Griffiths, The Mail on Sunday’s editor at large, says it’s so outlandish that it just might be true.
‘It sounds so unrealistic, but the truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to these two,’ she says. ‘They probably have a lot of resentment around the wedding time, because of course there were all these dramas going on backstage, plus they need some interesting Netflix content, because footage of them at the WellChild awards is all very well, but they’ve got to have that Kardashian thing, that set-piece.’
Later in the show, our panel examine royal security in the wake of the news that Prince Andrew will keep his 24-hour police protection, despite Harry losing his. Plus, they look at how Prince Charles is combating his perceived negative portrayal on The Crown by tackling it head-on.

HE Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s trip to Europe next month will be about ‘having their cake and eating it’, believes Sarah Vine. The Mail columnist told our royal talkshow Palace Confidential that the trip will be a chance for the pair to fulfil their dream of picking and choosing their duties. ‘The working royals are on quite a punishing schedule of day-to-day stuff, most of which doesn’t get any coverage, most of which isn’t very glamorous, most of which doesn’t involve wearing very expensive earrings and necklaces and saying very meaningful things about poor people, which is what Meghan likes to do,’ she tells the programme. ‘They don’t have to do that any more: They can come in, sweep in, get lots of coverage and then they can go home.’ Royal correspondent and author Victoria Murphy says it marks a step on the road to the new life that they have planned. ‘Despite the criticism that they get, they have kind of achieved what they want, because they are now doing the things they want to do in the way that they want to do them and they have that control,’ she says. ‘And because of their past roles and their links to the Royal Family they will always be relevant.’ This week social media has been awash with rumours that the Sussexes will renew their vows as part of a new Netflix reality show. Charlotte Griffiths, The Mail on Sunday’s editor at large, says it’s so outlandish that it just might be true. ‘It sounds so unrealistic, but the truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to these two,’ she says. ‘They probably have a lot of resentment around the wedding time, because of course there were all these dramas going on backstage, plus they need some interesting Netflix content, because footage of them at the WellChild awards is all very well, but they’ve got to have that Kardashian thing, that set-piece.’ Later in the show, our panel examine royal security in the wake of the news that Prince Andrew will keep his 24-hour police protection, despite Harry losing his. Plus, they look at how Prince Charles is combating his perceived negative portrayal on The Crown by tackling it head-on.

Harry and Meghan’s UK tour is about ‘having their cake and eating it’ ... and are the Sussexes planning on renewing their vows?

AS he fought in vain to hold together his Cabinet, Boris Johnson managed to find time for his weekly audience with HM the Queen – we asked our panel of royal experts how that conversation would have gone down.
The Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden says that if the Queen had an opinion, she would have got it across.
‘We certainly know that they do listen to her. Prime Ministers including Tony Blair have said that she has a very persistent way with them, and she asks probing questions, difficult questions. And he felt that he was often being jogged to maybe think again about something.’
Some have drawn parallels between the departure of Margaret Thatcher and this week’s events. But Dickie Arbiter, the Queen’s former press secretary, says the Queen will feel far different about the departure of Johnson to that of Thatcher.
‘I don’t think there would be parallels with them, because with Mrs Thatcher there would have been an element of sympathy in the way that it happened,’ he tells the programme. ‘This is something that’s completely different from what’s happening now and the Queen has never experienced that… the Queen admired Mrs Thatcher for having been so long the first female Prime Minister.’
The Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English discusses a new set of unwanted headlines around the charities run by the Prince of Wales and the access given to wealthy philanthropists.
While there is no accusation of wrongdoing by the prince, she points out that ‘it does shine yet another unwelcome spotlight on the way that some of Prince Charles’s charities have been run in the past’.
Any criticism being levelled towards Charles is unfair, argues Dickie Arbiter, who questions why these stories are emerging now: ‘It seems that someone with an axe to grind is trying to create a bit of mischief.’
PLUS on the 40th anniversary of the day an intruder broke in to Buckingham Palace and made it into the Queen’s bedroom, the Daily Mail’s Editor at Large Richard Kay takes us on a fascinating trip down memory lane to the extraordinary summer of 1982.

AS he fought in vain to hold together his Cabinet, Boris Johnson managed to find time for his weekly audience with HM the Queen – we asked our panel of royal experts how that conversation would have gone down. The Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden says that if the Queen had an opinion, she would have got it across. ‘We certainly know that they do listen to her. Prime Ministers including Tony Blair have said that she has a very persistent way with them, and she asks probing questions, difficult questions. And he felt that he was often being jogged to maybe think again about something.’ Some have drawn parallels between the departure of Margaret Thatcher and this week’s events. But Dickie Arbiter, the Queen’s former press secretary, says the Queen will feel far different about the departure of Johnson to that of Thatcher. ‘I don’t think there would be parallels with them, because with Mrs Thatcher there would have been an element of sympathy in the way that it happened,’ he tells the programme. ‘This is something that’s completely different from what’s happening now and the Queen has never experienced that… the Queen admired Mrs Thatcher for having been so long the first female Prime Minister.’ The Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English discusses a new set of unwanted headlines around the charities run by the Prince of Wales and the access given to wealthy philanthropists. While there is no accusation of wrongdoing by the prince, she points out that ‘it does shine yet another unwelcome spotlight on the way that some of Prince Charles’s charities have been run in the past’. Any criticism being levelled towards Charles is unfair, argues Dickie Arbiter, who questions why these stories are emerging now: ‘It seems that someone with an axe to grind is trying to create a bit of mischief.’ PLUS on the 40th anniversary of the day an intruder broke in to Buckingham Palace and made it into the Queen’s bedroom, the Daily Mail’s Editor at Large Richard Kay takes us on a fascinating trip down memory lane to the extraordinary summer of 1982.

Harry and Meghan vs the royals: Palace Confidential looks back at 2021’s most controversial moments

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