The Royal ReportA review of the Royal Family's Christmas cards for 2024 with Royal Correspondent Sarah Hewson, Prince William's shocking Christmas confession. Plus, could Meghan Markle's cooking series planned for next year be in doubt?
Vincys Who's Report. Good evening, Welcome to the Royal Report. I'm Caroline de bru So.
Coming up on the show tonight and after Prince Harry's documentary Polo Flunked, Good Meekets cooking series planned for next year also be in doubt, we'll review the Christmas Cards out of the Royal Family for twenty twenty four with Royal Correspondent Sarah Houston, plus Prince William's shocking Christmas confession find out later in the show, But first, it's the week before Christmas. It's the time when we're all trying to put the last minute touches on our Christmas plans and where possible avoid wholesale changes. Every year we play Sandrin and Bingo as we try and work out who is and isn't invited to the Royal Christmas and who is and isn't going, And it's never quite as simple as it should be. And while the Sussex's are usually the biggest question mark, this year, Prince Andrew has planted.
Himself firmly in those headlines.
Now.
We spoke on the show last week about a report that.
A confidant of Prince Andrew lost an appeal against his band from entering the UK on the basis that this particular person, known as.
H six was a Chinese spy.
Now, the fallout of this scandal means that Andrew is apparently no longer attending Christmas at Sandrina with the rest of.
The royal family.
The Duchess of York while she hasn't managed to engineer an adequately graceful change of plans, as Royal observers keenly watch on, but really, after a very challenging twenty twenty four, this was the last thing the royal family needed as the year's rules to a close. Joining me now is Daily Express Royal reporter Pandora Foresight and news columnist Angela Mollard. Pandora, it's probably prudent that Andrew won't join the Royal Christmas. What are you hearing on the ground from everyday Britain's about this?
But I think people completely understand the King's position on this one. They've had a really difficult few years and as you said, Caroline, this is the last thing that they needed, quite frankly before Christmas. But it's interesting because the King is actually grateful at the moment for Fergie being around now. If this was twenty years ago, perhaps it would have been a different story. But the fact that Andrew is listening to Fergie on this and stepping away from the Christmas Yesterday we did see a Christmas lunch going on and Eugenie was there with Beatrice, but her father was nowhere to be seen. But also this Christmas, Eugenie and Beatrice are spending Christmas with their in laws. So every which way of looking at it, there is no excuse for Andrew to turn up to Sandingham this year. But what is also interesting is given all of the mixed press that we've had with Andrew over the past few years, which there's not enough time to talk about now, Lady, but if there was, I think the fact that this year he's not going, despite all the previous years he's been able to go bar the pandemic, I think says it all really about their personal relationship as well as their public one.
I think that's a very good observation.
And Angela, we spoke about these particular allegations last week on the show, and I don't think they're going to disappear anytime soon. But no doubt the Royal family don't want this carrying on into twenty twenty five.
No, and I think that the King needs to actually make a decision on this. He needs to basically put Andrew in his place. That means leaving him in royal lodge, making sure that he's got enough money, because the cost to the taxpayer of them having to investigate Andrew's relationship with this spy is far greater than the King actually paying his brother not to need to create these connections, which we know with Jeffrey Epstein and then now the spy I do no good for the country. He has poor judgment. So the best thing as to a man who is sixty four a brother, you know he is a spare you have to He's in that horrible stage between being a member of the royal family who's a working member and then a non working If you think about it, George's siblings will not have these problems because they're likely to be non working members of the royal family under the slim down monarchy. So I think the best thing Charles can do is actually close Andrew down and keep the reputation of the monarchy intact. And that's what I'd be looking at in twenty twenty five. I'm sure they're having these discussions how to handle the problem of Andrew.
Absolutely and the protection of the brand going into the new year, no doubt.
Now.
Pandora an interesting piece in the Telegraph this week to round out twenty twenty four, and the question is posed, is anyone else starting to feel sorry for Harry and Meghan? And Look, personally, I'm a bit frustrated because I actually think they could have been a powerhouse for positive change, but they just say to be their own worst enemy.
What's your view?
I'm personally a bit confused by their brand and I report on the Royals. One minute, they want to be together. This year they've very much been doing solo things, but they've also done, as they got mocks on South Park about this, the Worldwide Privacy Tour. But yet they're not really in the Royal family. I don't think people really understand them. One minute they want to privacy, which is totally respective, but then the next minute they want people to listen to them. So which one is it? I don't really understand, And if I don't understand, I'm sure the rest of the public don't really get it either. I think people are sympathetic towards their problems, but only to a certain extent. They are, of course very wealthy, but they're now financially independent and that was off their own choice. Bear in mind they could have had a different life in the UK. Well, they'd be very much looked after. So in the grand scheme of things, with everything that's going on in the world right now, I think the sympathy for Harry and Meghan perhaps is getting a little stronger. But feeling sorry for them, I'm not quite sure I agree on that one.
Caroline not going to go quite that far. Angela anything to add. Look, I want to see them do good work. They're in positions of power, they're royal adjacent. What they need to do is hire an excellent strategist. Now there should have been on the books five years ago when they considered mix it. When we know that January the eight they're moved out without any kind of plan. And if you think about it, they are more difficult to manage than just about anybody else in the world for the very reason that they straddle so many different interests. They are royal adjacent, and yet they have commercial and charitable interests, and they also have a major media presence to manage. Those are three strong pillars that you have to get right. As Pandora mentioned, they also do have to make money. They've got different skill sets and interests from the past, so somebody who they are, I think the very first thing they should be doing in twenty twenty five is sitting down and trying to find somebody who may potentially be able to lead them for them to get on well with, because of course we know they've lost eighteen twenty staff members in the last five years. Finding somebody who can actually steer them for the next decade and create a strategy that they can follow. Because nothing would please me more to see Meghan and Harry excelling at what they do and putting their stump on the world. And let's hope that they listen and Angela will stay with you for a sec. Because the rumors are persisting around Meghan's Netflix show and that it might be en doubter or it could be dropped.
Is there anything to.
This, look, I think there is. This is really well sourced. In fact, a colleague of mine from London drew out this story, which is from a Netflix insider who says that this is Megan's last chance really for the couple. She's reportedly doing a cooking show. We don't know much about it. It's a bit about cooking, hospitality, friendship, gardening, that sort of thing. Obviously a very wide brief, but it was supposed to be aligned with her jam making business, American Revera Orchard, which we know has had stumbling box blocks at the patent's office.
So look, I.
Think what's likely is that this will be their last chance. The Polo, which was Harry's project, has been widely panned for being dull and a bit pompous. So this show actually has to connect with viewers for them to be worth the money that they're being paid. Now, if it dries up, if it's a problem, if it doesn't go ahead, if it rates poorly, you have to think about how they may redirect their interests. Because Archwell was going to be very much focused on television projects. It's something they very much wanted to do. They've got to make this work, but at this stage things are not sounding good.
No.
Now, Pandora back to Christmas, and it's obviously in Australia, it's summer during Christmas. We've got forty degrees over the weekend here in Perth. But we do appreciate the long held Bridge tradition of the ugly Christmas jumper. But it seems there's been a major royal oversight because I understand the Prince of Wowes doesn't have one.
This is shocking as a British system. I am a paull.
No.
Prince William said this on Tuesday when he was meeting military families as he does year on year, and obviously he has close ties to the military, and he was helping open Christmas presents and he just lets slip actually have to own one, as if he doesn't own one. No, I am frankly appalled. But also given the fact you know that he is in the Royal family, what do you buy a prince, Well, hopefully Catherine can get him a really ugly Christmas jumper, particularly ugly this year. Given the fact that he has said this on a public stage.
I totally agree.
And then plaster it all over Instagram so the rest of us in the far flung parts of the world can see said ugly Christmas jumper.
Now, Angela. From time to time the Royal family issue royal warrants. Now can you.
Please explain what they are, and Queen Camilla has recently.
Issued some very interesting ones. Oh I know, isn't this hilarious?
Like so, a warrant, a royal warrant is where the royal family basically they endorse people that help them with services or brands. So it might be something they eat or a hairdress that they use. And in this case, what's happened is this, for the first time, the Queen is endorsing her own royal warrants. There's seven of them that she's done, and among them is the facialist she uses. And it just so happens that this facialist has her own b venom mask, which the Camilla has been enjoying for many years as one of her clients. She also has takes collagen oil drops and that sort of thing. So this woman has now Look, it's brilliant for the brand basically what it is, it's saying the royals use us and then they make a ton of money out of it, of course. But what's interesting is there are other charities and things that they endorse. For instance, Camilla, of course we know she loves her dogs. She's endorsed with a royal warrant a veterinary practice. She's also endorsed her hairdresser, who was the same hairdresser I used when I was in London for a decade, So Joe hans COT's her name, and look, I can't say that my hair is as good as it ever was in London, and certainly not Camilla's standards. But to be able to endorse these people and to give them a pat on the back is good for them, it's good for the brands. It also shows some loyalty from the royal family to those services and brands that they enjoy using.
I couldn't agree more.
And my facialist is one of my very special people, so I totally understand Camilla's position on this one. Now, Pandora, I'm also a Formula one fan, so I was very happy to see Christian Horner receive a NOD for the New Year's Honors list.
Any other notable mentions at this stage.
Yes, very exciting and there he is with the original Spice Girl. And of course he went on to say how charming Charles was. Well, of course, he's the King. He has to be charming, especially at events like that. But I think for many years especially the British public have very much been waiting to see whether David Beckham is going to get his name on the list. And he's been doing lots of charitable work with the King, notably across the years, and I think he'd be a very very happy man to get this. So as all eyes on December twenty ninth to see who is going to make the cut. There's also potentially Sadiq Khan on there. He used to be London mayor here, so lots of lanes to be coming out. There's always a bit of a debate about whether they actually deserved it, and lots of stories do come to light. I know in the past as well, David Beckham's taxes has been in the headlines here, but I think he's been doing lots of trouitable work to be interesting to see whether he does mate the cut this year.
Couldn't agree more.
Now, lastly, Angela, a new monument dedicated to the late queen has been announced.
Hefty price tag, no doubt a worthy commemoration. I appreciate it.
I understand there was a poll recently who I think the finding was that the Royal family ought to pay for this rather than the taxpayer, but what's planned and who's paying.
Well, it's going to be paid for by the taxpayer at this stage. But as you say, Caroline, there's a little bit of unrest, particularly from anti monarchists who think that it should be funded by the Royal family themselves. Look, there are statues as Pandora will a test all over London to members of the Royal family from the past. Of obviously the Diana statue, which I think is an abomination. It's a horrendous statue. It's truly truly awful. But whereas Victoria's statue, sorry Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, those statues.
Look, this is important.
This was the longest serving monarch in Britain, so there should be something to mark her reign and it should reflect her reign. It should be quite traditional in my mind. Yes, as to the cost what you were talking about, there was up to forty six million pounds, which is of course is over ninety million dollars in Australian currency. That's a lot of money. So you hope that they get it right. But what I do think is particularly lovely is they're taking some time to consult with design firms engineers that sort of thing, and they want a conclusion and an idea for this statue to be announced on the hundredth of the year. That would have been the one hundredth birthday of the Queen, so that would be twenty twenty six. I think it's a necessary tribute to the Queen. But let's have a look at those designs before they commit to anything.
Yeah, indeed, you always want to see the designs first. We don't need any more or we don't need anything that isn't fitting for the late Queen.
Angela Mollard Pandora Foresight. Thank you so much for your time.
Ladies, have a very merry Christmas, and coming up we'll review that Christmas cards out of the Royal Family for twenty twenty four with Royal correspon It Sarah Houston. Don't go anywhere, Welcome back to the program. Royal Correspondent Sarah Houston is up next. But first, the lead up to Christmas means Royal Christmas cards and the King and Queen will they release theirs earlier in the month now the Princess Royal she quietly released hers earlier this week. The Prince and Princess of Wales chose a beautiful family photo taken in Norfolk, and the Sussexes gave us a very rare glimpse at Archie and Lilli Bit. It's a small but meaningful way of giving a snapshot of twenty twenty four. Joining me now is Royal Correspondent Sarah Houston, while Princess Anne, the Waleses, a Sussexes, they've all released their family Christmas cards. Anything particularly notable in this year's messages and photo choices, Sarah and.
Yes, you just showed a selection of the Royal Christmas cards there and we saw the one of the King and Queen, a photograph of them taken in the Buckingham Palace gardens earlier this year. There was some reaction to that King Charles looking very relaxed in his suit with his hand in his pocket. There were some memes going around on social media that it looked like he was rocking up to her mate's wedding. But I think it's nice to see them in a slightly less.
Formal at pos.
Princess Anne, as you chose a photograph of her with her husband Tim Lawrence attending the Garter Ceremony in June of this year in the full velvet cloak and feathered plumes. I think that says a lot about her and her adherence to duty. She became a Knight of the Order of the gartera in nineteen ninety four, an honor bestowed on her by her late mother.
Usually a woman would have become a Lady of the.
Garter, but Princess Anne in Truestyle put her foot down and insisted she was to have parity with her older brother Charles and she was to become a Knight of the Garter. And that's reflected in her card. Harry and Meghan's card, I would say is a little bit removed from Harry and Meghan themselves, because when you look at the detail of it, it's from the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the Archwell Foundation and arch Well Productions. It kind of looks like one of those corporate cards, really, doesn't it. And it features a series of highlights from their year, including their visit to Columbia earlier this year. But most importantly and notably that glimpse of Archie and Lilibet. We so rarely see their children. They're fiercely protective of their privacy, but we do get a little shot of them from behind hugging their parents in California, and just to see how much they're growing up, both of them with that shock of red hair. Lillibit with her long hair there, really lovely to see. And then the Prince and Princess of Wales's card Now that was released yesterday and it's a pretty familiar image to many because it is a family photograph, a family image taken from the film that was released back in September to mark the end of Kate's chema therapy, that very intimate film where we saw the Wales family on the beach and in the woods in Norfolk as Kate announced that her chemotherapy had come to an end and the new phase was beginning for her.
What a great way to wrap up the year. And Sarah, well, it's the wake of Christmas. We know you're across the details of the Royal family.
It's Christmas plans. What's the latest.
Well, the Royal families Christmas plans are already underway, Caroline. They had the pre Christmas lunch yesterday at Buckingham Palace. This is for around seventy members of the royal family, the extended family, those that don't always make the cut for Sandringham on Christmas. Today there's the King arriving at Buckingham Palace at Queen ca Miller as well.
Some notable absences.
Though because the Prince and Princess of Wales were not there. We're told that was always planned. They weren't going to be there. They were always going to be in Norfolk with their children a head of Christmas, and they will be spending Christmas Day with the royal family at Sandringham. But we saw Princesses Beatrice and Usually there in the photographs arriving at Buckingham Palace for the lunch.
They're not going to be at Sandringham at Christmas date. That again was always planned.
They had decided this year to spend the Christmas period with their respective in laws. But it means their father, the Duke of York, is left spending Christmas alone at Royal Lodge in Windsor alongside his former wife Sarah Ferguson, because he is now nfi from at the Christmas celebrations at Sandringham. Took the decision rarely for Prince Andrew, I should say to actually make the right decision on these that he should excuse himself from the family Christmas celebrations given the furure over his links to an alleged Chinese spy.
And do we know what the Susuccess have planned.
Well, the Sussexes are spending Christmas in California.
We don't know the details of their plans, but usually it would be that they would spend the Christmas period with Meghan's mother, Dora Ragland. Often we get a suggestion from Buckingham Palace that the door is always open for them to join the rest of the family for Christmas at Sandringham.
This year, that hasn't been the case.
There's been no taught whatsoever about any possibility of Harry and Meghan being here for.
Multiple reasons really, I mean, Harry's made.
It clear that he doesn't think it's safe to come back to the UK with Meghan and his family for security reasons, but also that rift between the two brothers, Harry and William still runs incredibly deep. And the King has his own concerns too, because Harry still has two court cases underway here in the UK, particularly one against the British Government against the Home Office over those security issues, and there is a concern in raal quarters that Harry could use any meetings with his father to try and lobby him, and that puts the King in a very very difficult position when Harry is suing his Majesty's government in his Majesty's court, So any face to face meetings at the moment being avoided.
Now sky UK has only just reported that the King's cancer treatment will continue into twenty twenty five. Pallace sources have said that his treatment has been moving along in a positive direction and as a managed condition, the treatment cycle will continue into next year.
Is there anything else you can tell us?
Yeah?
I thought this was really interesting, Caroline, that use of the word a managed condition. We know, of course from the Princess of well turkeemotherapy in September. But the King's treatment has been ongoing weekly treatment for his cancer. It was only paused when he was over in Australia earlier this.
It is now going to continue into the new year, we're told and managed condition. It looks like this is long term treatment plan for the King.
But they are optimistic, say Buckingham Palace, and it is clear that they are planning for a pretty full and normal diary of events for the.
King over the course of the next year.
The Australia visit and that to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa is seen as a big success. You could see how much the King was buoyed by being back out there in the world again, having been forced to stay at home in the early stages of his diagnosis. And so they're planning for more royal tours and overseas visits for him in twenty twenty five.
And look that there is very good news, Sarah. As long as he's planning for a very big year next year or the continuation of the second half of this year, that can only be.
Good news for all of us.
Sarah Hughes, thank you so much for your time. And that's the show for tonight. Thank you for joining us. Just a reminder of the Royal Report. We'll continue over the Christmas break on Fridays at nine pm Eastern daylight time. Up next to is Sky News Australia's exclusive documentary The Ryals in Australia, which is a look back at seventy years of royal visits to our great country.
