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00:01Hello, and welcome to Catching Up with the Royals, the show that never complains but always explains, with me, Richard
00:07Coles.
00:08And me, Emily Andrews. On today's show, we'll be delving into the latest on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's move from wood
00:14farm to marsh farm.
00:15You don't just turn up and get a house. These things are probably going to be promised to people.
00:19He's very worried about what would happen to his horses when he left Royal Lodge, apparently.
00:24And we'll also be answering more of your questions as we take a look at one of the ultimate symbols
00:29of royal power and privilege, the Crown Jewels.
00:32At one point, they were reportedly stored in a biscuit tin and buried, just in case.
00:37Great detail. That's what we come to this podcast for.
00:40Exactly. Plus, we're peeking behind the scenes at one of the most exclusive events in the world, Royal State Banquets.
00:48No garlic.
00:49No garlic and no shellfish.
00:51No shellfish. We don't want...
00:52No.
00:53No.
00:53We don't want anyone being sick.
00:59Welcome back to Catching Up With The Royals.
01:01Hello.
01:02Hello, Richard. Welcome back.
01:04Well, welcome back to you too.
01:05Thank you. How have you been?
01:06I've been in excellent form. Thank you.
01:09Today, Richard, we have had some lovely viewer questions. Thank you so much.
01:14We've had loads of questions of which we're going to deep dive into.
01:19I think we're going to cover some royal fashion. We're going to cover what Meghan wore. We're going to cover...
01:25Fashion questions. My favourite.
01:27And Richard, your absolute favourite, tiaras.
01:31Now that, I do, brings out the sparkle in me, I must say.
01:34It brings a sparkle to your eyes.
01:36Now, Mrs Thompson, thank you so much. You've emailed us before. You've asked us another fantastic question.
01:41And it's on royal fashion.
01:43So, she says,
01:45Before Harry and Meghan left the royal family, I often wondered why Meghan was so often seen dressed from head
01:50to toe in black,
01:51when one of the rules of the royal family is that they should never wear black unless someone had died
01:56or went attending a funeral.
01:58It's that sticky question of protocol, Richard.
02:01Well, actually, I never cared for that.
02:03But I was trying to think, the only times you ever saw the Queen wearing black was when she was
02:06in mourning, I think.
02:07I'm talking about Queen Elizabeth II.
02:09It was when she was in mourning, although maybe on a night out. I don't know.
02:12I think you're right, Richard.
02:13Just trying to go through my sort of picture catalogue in my brain, which is either empty, vacant, very full.
02:19Choose your adjective.
02:21Just trying to go through the picture catalogue of the late Queen in my brain.
02:24I think when she was younger, she might have worn a black evening dress, but you're right.
02:29Whenever I think of the late Queen in black, it was just in mourning.
02:32And of course, she famously said, I have to be seen to be believed, which is why she always wore
02:36those block colours and those matching block colour hats.
02:40But actually, there isn't some book of royal book of style that, you know, Princess Charlotte gets issued or those
02:49who marry in to the royal family get issued.
02:52There is quite a lot of room for individual choice in how people dress.
02:58I think there's an expectation on how you dress.
03:02So, Mrs Thompson, great question.
03:04I don't think, I'm pretty sure there are no rules for wearing black.
03:09Certainly, we saw the then Duchess of Cambridge, Kate, wear black many, many times.
03:13I've got a thought. I had a thought.
03:17You can show a bit of shoulder and it's all right.
03:19But if it was mourning, you wouldn't show a bit of shoulder, right?
03:21No, there's definitely rules for mourning dress.
03:24So when the lake, when Queen Elizabeth died, I mean, you saw a lot of the women obviously in black,
03:31full black, not even a black print.
03:33And in fact, actually, I checked with the palace because I was going to wear a black dress with a
03:38floral print.
03:39And they said, no, no, it had to be total black.
03:42So then I took the decision myself when I was covering the Queen's funeral in the mourning period.
03:47I also just wore pearls because pearls are, and pearl earrings and pearl necklace because pearls are also jewellery that's
03:55quite synonymous with mourning.
03:56Pearls bring tears.
03:58Do they?
03:59Well, so that's what my grandmother used to say.
04:00I think she was right.
04:02Well, she seemed to like them funnily enough.
04:03But pearls bring tears.
04:04They are.
04:05There's something a bit mournful about pearl.
04:06Yeah, they've got a lovely luster.
04:08But so I think when it comes to mourning, but mourning's not exclusive to the royal family.
04:14So, but obviously it's quite, perhaps those, you know, now modern day funerals, people sometimes are asked to wear colour.
04:23The deceased's favourite colour.
04:24Yeah, what do you think about that?
04:25I think it's a mistake.
04:26I think people want it to be a celebration of the life.
04:28And of course lives are to be celebrated.
04:30But when someone has died, they're also to be mourned.
04:33And I think you need to do a bit of mourning to do it properly.
04:35So I think with mourning, there are definitely rules and regulations.
04:37But certainly when it comes to royal dress codes, and we're really talking here about female dress codes,
04:41but obviously there are very strict male dress codes for things like Knights of the Garter, state banquets.
04:47It's uniform, though, isn't it?
04:48Yes, and there's dress codes for the men that are very, but for the women in general engagements, it was
04:56kind of up.
04:57And certainly the younger members, Sophie, Meghan, Kate, it was certainly up to them to decide how they wanted to
05:07dress.
05:07And, you know, and actually, Richard, I thought this was very unfair on Meghan.
05:12And she and Harry, she started doing engagements before they got married.
05:17But then after she got married, a lot of, you know, she wore a one-shoulder dress, famously, when she
05:21was pregnant.
05:22And she wore black nail varnish.
05:24And she did this and she did that.
05:26And it was used.
05:26Oh, that's the thing, isn't it?
05:27Coloured nail varnish.
05:29I mean, it was.
05:29Not allowed.
05:30No, that's just rubbish.
05:31There's no rule that says one must always wear, you know, pale pink nail varnish.
05:36I think, I think that the nuance here and all the clickbait that was written that was anti-Meghan was
05:42so horrible and inflammatory.
05:44And I know that she read it and she got upset by it and Harry read it and he got
05:47upset by it.
05:48And then he, you know, they sort of took it out on the press and they took it out on,
05:51you know, other people around them.
05:53And it was just the whole thing became, you know, a sort of circle within its own lunchtime.
05:56It's just dreadful.
05:57But actually, I think the nuance is, is that there's perhaps not a protocol, but an expectation.
06:02So when Kate got married, she sort of looked around her and she asked, what does the Queen do?
06:09What does the then Duchess of Cornwall do?
06:11How do they dress?
06:12How do royal women dress?
06:13And you saw Kate play it quite safe.
06:16Now, actually, she doesn't wear this anymore, but she used to wear skirts that were quite short.
06:21And I remember being on tour with her in Australia, I think in 2015 and again in India.
06:27Both times, wind caught her skirt.
06:30But yeah, and there were unfortunate pictures that never saw the light of day.
06:34And of course, the late Queen used to get around that by sewing weights.
06:41She sewed weights or her dresser sewed weights into her hems and her hems were longer.
06:46So that that unfortunate incident didn't happen.
06:50So Kate also kind of learnt from experience, shall we say.
06:54I mean, but I thought this narrative around Meghan, like not getting it and being in appropriate dress was just
06:58rubbish because there's no hard and fast rule.
07:01But maybe an expectation.
07:03I made a faux pas of that kind.
07:05I was at Royal Ascot and I was in a royal enclosure and I'd never been before.
07:10And I was wearing a grey top hat, which is allowed.
07:13But as soon as you got there, all the real posh people all had black top hats.
07:17No one told you that, but you just knew that you were kind of...
07:19Well, that's a really good example because it's that kind of knowing.
07:22It's those social rules are not written down, but you pick up as you go along.
07:26I don't have a top hat at home.
07:28I rented my top hat.
07:29Well, exactly.
07:30If I had a top hat at home, then maybe it would be different.
07:32Well, exactly.
07:33That question of expectation and nuance and what is done.
07:36I think Meghan was unfairly pilloried, in my opinion, for what she should or shouldn't have done.
07:42But there was one example.
07:45After she got married, she went on an away day with the Queen.
07:49They took the royal train up north.
07:50They were opening a bridge and visiting a school and blah, blah.
07:53And the Queen was wearing a hat.
07:55And the Queen was wearing green for Grenville.
07:57And that was code for the Queen is wearing a hat.
08:01Therefore, the Duchess of Sussex must wear a hat.
08:04But not a green hat.
08:05But not a green hat.
08:06She must not be wearing green because the Queen was wearing green.
08:09And for whatever reason, either Meghan decided not to or Meghan didn't understand or the person to whom this was
08:14communicated didn't understand that that meant that Meghan needed to wear a hat too.
08:18Had Meghan been with any other female member of the royal family, she wouldn't have needed to wear a hat.
08:22But she was with the Queen, so she needed to wear a hat.
08:25And when you are doing an engagement with the Queen, the Queen decides what she's going to wear.
08:29And then it's circulated around all the other royal ladies.
08:32And it's done in hierarchy.
08:33So if the Queen decides she's wearing yellow, no one else is wearing yellow.
08:35If the Queen decides she's wearing pink, no one else is going to wear pink.
08:38Because she's got to stand out.
08:39She's the Queen, she's got to stand out.
08:41And now, obviously, Queen Camilla, same thing.
08:43Well, now, listen, everybody.
08:45We're very glad you're enjoying Catching Up With The Royals.
08:48And we want you to catch up with Catching Up With The Royals.
08:50You can do that by, on a Thursday, going to wherever you get your podcasts or YouTube, something like that.
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09:05And glowing reviews are always welcome.
09:08We've got a question for you.
09:09For you.
09:11Well, it's not for anyone.
09:12King Charles owns several properties on the 20,000-acre Sandringham Country Estate.
09:18But how many?
09:19Answer coming up after the break.
09:25Welcome back to Catching Up With The Royals.
09:28Now, we left you with a question.
09:29It was how many properties is in the portfolio of Sandringham, the King's 20,000-acre Norfolk estate?
09:35Well, over 150 are officially recorded.
09:38But it is believed there may be as many as 300.
09:41Of course, mostly residential rentals, as well as farms and staff accommodation.
09:46That's quite a property portfolio for just one estate.
09:48Just one estate.
09:49And there are many, many more that he owns.
09:51Do you want a question from our Mary?
09:53I'd love what's Mary asking us.
09:55My question is, asks Mary, why couldn't Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor continue living in Wood Farm, the Sandringham Estate, instead of
10:03all the expense being spent on renovating Marsh Farm?
10:06If it was good enough for his father, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and stayed at Wood Farm, why isn't
10:11it good enough for him?
10:12That's such a good question, Mary.
10:14And I did ask the palace.
10:16I wouldn't have said that they were particularly forthcoming.
10:19But just a kind of quick...
10:21They don't like anything...
10:23Well, they don't like anything about Andrew, obviously, at the moment.
10:25They try and bat everything into the long grass.
10:27But, quick recap, after the late Queen's husband, Prince Philip, retired, he wanted nothing more to do, really, with royal
10:36life after that.
10:37He went to live and retire on Wood Farm.
10:38And actually, he didn't see the Queen very much.
10:40Wood Farm was where he painted.
10:42It was his home.
10:44And it always has held a special place for him and the Queen.
10:48Often, he and the Queen, when Sandringham was open to the general public or whatever, he and the Queen would
10:53live at Wood Farm, doing their own washing up, maybe even stacking the dishwasher.
10:57Not very grand.
10:58No, not very grand.
10:59I mean, look, don't get me wrong.
11:00It's quite a big place.
11:01And it's secluded, which is why it was where Andrew was first sent in February this year.
11:10I'm sure viewers will remember about the siege of Royal Lodge, who refused to move out, blah, blah, blah.
11:14And then, last autumn, the first drop of the Epstein files, it became untenable for him to stay at Royal
11:20Lodge.
11:20I mean, the King had been trying to get him to leave by cutting his funding.
11:23But anyway, when all his titles were taken away, he agreed eventually to leave Royal Lodge and move to Marsh
11:31Farm.
11:32It doesn't sound great.
11:33No, Marsh Farm is much smaller.
11:35It's got five bedrooms.
11:36It's kind of Marsh.
11:37Yeah, and actually, it's very marshy and it's dilapidated and it's quite open to press photographers.
11:44So, it's a really good question because I would have thought that Wood Farm would have been more appropriate and
11:49also didn't need any renovation.
11:51Maybe the optics of Andrew moving to Prince Philip's retirement home.
11:56And Prince Philip retired in dignity, duty.
11:58He was an absolute stalwart.
11:59You don't just turn up and get a house.
12:01These things are probably going promised to people or arrangements have been made.
12:05And then, when something like what happened to him happens, then you just have to make do with what you've
12:10got, I guess.
12:11Yeah, I mean, maybe Wood Farm, maybe the king wants to use Wood Farm.
12:13Maybe that's why, Mary, because the king wants to stay there.
12:17And he spends a lot of weekends there.
12:19I mean, Sandringham really has become his country weekend home more than Highgrove now.
12:24And Sandringham is open to the general public quite a few months of the year.
12:27But renovations are being done to Marsh Farm.
12:30Everyone will be absolutely delighted to know that it's being made fit for a former prince.
12:34Friends, renovations include a new six-foot security fence, additional CCTV, Sky TV, so Andrew can watch the racing and
12:42to watch flightradar.com.
12:44He likes to watch aircraft moving around the world.
12:46Fantasies of escape.
12:47Yes, exactly.
12:48And stables are being built at the back of the farmhouse.
12:51He was very worried about what would happen to his horses when he left Royal Lodge, apparently.
12:56Yeah, I mean, it's a predicament, isn't it?
12:57It's so hard to imagine what it would be like if you were in it.
12:59Of course, you must remember that Prince Andrew denies any wrongdoing on his part.
13:05Shall we talk about royal children?
13:08Yes.
13:09Because this week, it is the birthday of one of my favourite princes.
13:14I know exactly who this is going to be.
13:16Okay.
13:16Prince Louis, isn't it?
13:18Prince Louis of Cambridge.
13:18You like a scamp.
13:19Prince Louis of Cambridge, now Prince Louis of Wales.
13:22He is such a gorgeous boy.
13:27So he's going to be eight.
13:28He is obviously the youngest of Catherine and William's tribe.
13:33And he is just a gorgeous bundle of energy.
13:36That boy can run, Richard.
13:38He has a lot of energy.
13:40I remember someone telling me that they had been at Bucklebury Farm Park, which is now owned by Aunty Pippa
13:46and Uncle James.
13:47And he was with Gangang Carol, Granny Carol, Louis.
13:52And he was just running around.
13:55I mean, she's a fit lady, Carol, but he was giving her a run literally for her money.
14:00He's jumping on and off the haystacks, running, playing, jumping, climbing on all the climbing equipment.
14:07He is going to be a brilliant sportsman.
14:10I'm sure he's good at sport at the moment.
14:12He's rugby, football, cricket.
14:14His dad says he's into everything.
14:16I foresee a military career.
14:17He would be brilliant, actually, I think, in the military.
14:20And it's interesting, actually, because I remember a story a couple of years ago where William said that George didn't
14:26necessarily have to go into the military.
14:29I mean, we've talked before, haven't we, about William's very much his own man and wants his family to be
14:32able to go their own way.
14:33Obviously, always the expectation is that the future Prince of Wales, the future heir to the throne of which George
14:38is, would serve in the military.
14:40But, you know, things are changing.
14:42But I agree with you.
14:42I think Louis would be great at Sandhurst.
14:45When people talk about it, it reminds me of how people talked about Harry when he was a boy.
14:49The Curse of Despair.
14:51Well, it's a tough one, isn't it?
14:52It's really tough.
14:53Well, it is, actually, that's really interesting, because this whole sort of like narrative, press narrative, that because Louis, because
14:59partly because he's number three, so we have seen him earlier, I think, than we saw George and Charlotte.
15:07So we saw George maybe in public when he was about five, and then Charlotte's always been quite poised in
15:14character.
15:15But because we saw the two elder children, then Louis kind of came along perhaps earlier than George and Charlotte.
15:21And I remember his first engagement, it was in Slough.
15:25It was the...
15:26Engagement?
15:26Yeah, I know.
15:27How old was it?
15:28Well, it was 2023, so he would have been five.
15:35Blimey.
15:35His first royal engagement, age five.
15:38That's a big arse for a kid, isn't it?
15:39And there, it was then that we learnt what Kate's nickname for him was.
15:43Which is?
15:44Lubugs.
15:45Lubugs.
15:46Lubugs.
15:46It's really sweet, Lubugs.
15:49You're a bit, oh, you've got a bit weepier about it.
15:52Well, I suppose it's the same age as my son.
15:54And my son's very, yeah, sporty and physical.
16:00The curse of the spare.
16:01I mean, do we, I think Catherine and William must worry about that.
16:05Well, I think, from what I understand, is that they try to bring the kids up as equally as they
16:10can.
16:11Although, of course, everyone must be conscious that Prince George has a destiny that's different from the other two.
16:16So, mind you, hang on, second son gets to be Duke of York, don't they?
16:22Doesn't that title, I mean, I wonder if that title might just be put on the shelf for a while,
16:25doesn't it?
16:25I, from what I've been told, I think that title will be on ice for at least one or two
16:31generations.
16:33And there's some suggestion that Charlotte might become, in time, Duchess of Edinburgh,
16:38because James, Edward and Sophie's son, is not going to become Duke of Edinburgh.
16:42Do they have other ones in the cupboard that they can sort of dust off?
16:45Yes, there are other dukedoms that are vacant.
16:50Clarence?
16:51Yeah.
16:51Isn't that a royal dukedom?
16:52It is.
16:53When was the last time there was a Duke of Clarence?
16:54A long time ago.
16:55Didn't one of them die in a butt of marmsy wine?
16:57Is that Clarence?
16:58I think that's a long, long...
16:59Oh, yes, that's some Shakespeare, isn't it?
17:02But wasn't there a Duke of Clarence in Victoria?
17:06Give someone that one, I can't remember.
17:08There's a lot of pubs called the Duke of Clarence.
17:09I mean, I enjoy definitely drinking in Dukes of Clarence.
17:11What about other ones?
17:12You could make one up, couldn't you?
17:13Could it be like the Duke of Peckham?
17:15Well, you could peck them.
17:16Do you know what I heard?
17:17I heard that when she was the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate is very particular about how her children look.
17:24When the kids were younger, she used to ask their nanny, Maria Barallo, to go shopping in Spain, actually, for
17:32clothes that were...
17:35Zara.
17:36No, just independent.
17:38And so she asked Maria to do a lot of shopping.
17:41I think also partly, because there was a bit of a craze at one point of people sort of copying
17:45what the royal children were wearing.
17:47And so I think Kate thought that if she got it from Spain, then it would sort of solve that
17:52issue.
17:52I like Princess Charlotte.
17:54I think I like...
17:55She looks to be like she's an observer, and she has rather a wry outlook on life.
17:59And also she wears those kind of like very nice buttony overcoat things that looks like she's in Peter Pan
18:06or something.
18:07She also keeps her younger brother in line.
18:09Does she?
18:10Well, there's been...
18:11You've watched them in the wild, haven't you?
18:12What are they like when they're not sort of on parade?
18:14They are delightful.
18:15They are well-mannered.
18:17They are polite.
18:20There was an engagement.
18:23Catherine was doing some sailing.
18:25And it was in the summer holidays, and Carol and Mike brought George and Charlotte.
18:29And Charlotte was walking across a kind of walkway, and she saw the photographers, and she turned and stuck her
18:35tongue out.
18:37I just thought that was great.
18:39But even royal children, even royal children are not best behaved all the time, which is great.
18:44We like to see that, right?
18:45That's part of the reason why Louis is so popular, because there's so many memes that have been created from
18:49his kind of faces and his gurning on the Buckingham Palace balcony or at the coronation parade.
18:54It does make you a bit uneasy as a parent, don't you think?
18:57If your kid's getting all that attention, if your kid becomes a meme, it would be...
19:02I suppose you try and just keep that at a distance from the child.
19:05It wasn't until George was maybe like 10, 9 or 10, that he was told that they gradually, gradually started
19:14to say to him, this is your destiny, this is your future.
19:17So Mary McCartney, daughter of Paul McCartney, told me, because she grew up in a wilder Scotland in the farm
19:23up on Kintyre.
19:24She said she didn't realise that they were different at all, because they lived very simply there, until she was
19:30about 10 and they were in London.
19:31And she turned to her father and she said, why is everyone staring at us?
19:35She didn't know until that moment that there was something that was different about them.
19:39It must be so difficult for Kate and William to try and navigate all the difficult enough being a parent
19:46without all that extra stuff on top.
19:48Well, before we go to the break, here's a question.
19:51Princess Anne married Sir Timothy Lawrence in 1992.
19:54Well, he wasn't Sir Timothy then, but he is now.
19:57But what was it about that wedding day that was especially notable?
20:02Answer, after the break.
20:08And welcome back to Catching Up with the Royals.
20:10We left you the cliffhanger.
20:11What was notable about the wedding of Timothy Lawrence and Princess Anne, Timothy Lawrence being Princess Anne's second husband?
20:20Now, I don't know the answer to this, because I haven't cheated and looked.
20:24I think, and I'm perfectly happy to be wrong, I think it was the first royal wedding in Scotland.
20:29Well, it might be, but the specific reason for that is that it was at that time not permissible,
20:35or by the strictest interpretations of the canons of the Church of England,
20:40for someone divorced whose ex-spouse was living to remarry in church.
20:46It was possible in the Church of Scotland.
20:48And, of course, the royal family are sort of Church of Scotland when they're in Scotland,
20:51and then Church of England when they're in England.
20:52So I think it was that.
20:53It was the first time a divorcee got married in church.
20:56Oh.
20:57I mean, it was a big deal, that.
20:58And it's one of those things there, it was a quite significant concession on the part of the late Queen.
21:07And I think the Archbishop of Canterbury would have been involved in that discussion too.
21:10Well, and given the background, given that Princess Anne met Sir Tim Lawrence through work,
21:15he was one of her mother's equerries, and also given that, you know, look at the history,
21:21look at what happened with Margaret and Peter Townsend.
21:24And, basically, she, Margaret, couldn't marry, or at least was told,
21:27if you marry him, you'll have to give up all your royal positions.
21:30If you've got these sort of royal princesses, and they're kind of not quite in Perda exactly,
21:34but they're sort of carefully looked after, and then you fill their lives with handsome equerries,
21:38what do you think is going to happen?
21:40Of course they're going to fall in love with their equerries, aren't they?
21:43Yeah.
21:44Workplace romances, they're banned now, though, I think.
21:46Oh, right.
21:46Yeah, now no one's allowed to have them anymore.
21:50Anyway.
21:50I had a bunch of flowers as well, but you're not having them now.
21:52Oh, really?
21:54Oh, I would love a bunch of flowers off for you.
21:56Too late.
21:56It's too late.
21:57We can't have, that's it.
21:58It's banned in the 21st century.
22:00We're delighted that you're catching up with the royals.
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22:23I need to just augment the answer to that question,
22:28because when I look at my notes, I find out Princess Anne became
22:30the first royal divorcee to marry again since Queen Victoria's granddaughter,
22:34Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Kolburg-Und-Gorta, in 1905.
22:38Why has she got a pass?
22:39I don't know.
22:40But you used to be able to, for dynastic reasons,
22:43the rules could be broken or kind of reshaped.
22:46Talking about Tim Lawrence, Dionne asks,
22:50can you enlighten my curiosity regarding Commander Timothy Lawrence,
22:54as I feel he's very much under the radar and keeps himself purposely low-key
22:58as the second husband of our much-respected Anne, our Princess Royal?
23:02It's interesting.
23:03I like him.
23:04Obviously, yeah, Tim Lawrence, retired from the Royal Navy now.
23:08I think he currently holds the title of Vice Admiral.
23:10He's very senior in the Navy, but he's not a working royal,
23:14but yet he does a huge number of royal engagements,
23:17both with Princess Anne and actually on his own.
23:20That's an interesting one, isn't it?
23:22So he's not a working royal, but he is a working royal.
23:25Exactly.
23:26And I think...
23:27Or he's married to a working royal and just helps out.
23:29I think his is quite a unique position,
23:32because as a former military man, he's incredibly well-respected.
23:36I mean, he not only worked for the royal household as the Queen's Equary,
23:39but obviously he was very, very senior in the armed forces as a Vice Admiral.
23:43But he's incredibly useful.
23:45I mean, I'm not sounding patronising.
23:47He's incredibly useful because he's...
23:50I've met him a couple of times in his position as Vice Chair of the Commonwealth Graves Commission.
23:56So I remember, I think it was in 2016.
24:00At Teatfal, I went.
24:01It was the 100th anniversary of the Somme.
24:03It seems a bit mean to say this,
24:04but sort of the headliners were the Duke and Dutch to Cambridge,
24:07Kate and William plus Prince Harry.
24:10But Tim Lawrence was there as the Vice Chair of the Commonwealth Graves Commission.
24:14And there were a lot of Commonwealth Graves at Teatfal
24:17and also at many, many of the World War I and World War II sites
24:22across France and Belgium.
24:25And he was the one that everyone wanted to talk to, Richard.
24:29Not a drama queen.
24:31Sometimes people around Royal Life just kind of seem to be enjoying it.
24:34Are you thinking about anyone in particular?
24:36No.
24:37But he doesn't seem to...
24:39He just seems to get on with it.
24:40And I think it's probably a good match for Anne too,
24:44who seems to be quite pragmatic and sensible.
24:47And it's recognised by his brother-in-law.
24:49Last year, King Charles named him Knight Grand Cross of the RVO,
24:54the Royal Victorian Order.
24:55That's their, like, gongs for friends.
24:58That's their royal gongs.
24:59Yeah.
24:59Gongs for friends.
25:00Gongs for staff.
25:01Gongs for friends.
25:02Gongs for, you know, well done you.
25:03So he's on the same level as the Princess of Wales
25:06and Queen Camilla in terms of seniority.
25:09So Knight Grand Cross is the highest order for the ladies at Dane Grand Cross.
25:15He's the only non-working member of the extended royal family to hold the title.
25:17He does seem to occupy a very unique position, I think,
25:22as a sort of a non-working royal royal.
25:25Maybe Mike Tindall will be that person in the future.
25:27Who knows?
25:28Maybe.
25:29Maybe.
25:29With a few more rugby balls.
25:31What do you get at the Knight Grand Cross?
25:32Do you get, like, a special thing to wear?
25:35You get a sash and a badge.
25:38Oh.
25:38He's always at state banquets.
25:40So Princess Anne is the Princess Royal,
25:42always goes, is invited to the state banquets,
25:44is one of the most senior female women.
25:46And he always accompanies her.
25:47Do you know what?
25:47I look at a state banquet and I think one would be fun,
25:51but my goodness, it must be a long evening.
25:52Don't you think?
25:53Well, especially if you're not drinking.
25:54We're going to talk about this later, aren't we, state banquets?
25:57We are.
25:57Delve, a deep dive.
25:59Well, we have another question here.
26:00It's from Victoria.
26:01She's been on touch on the Insta.
26:03And she says,
26:04Hi, guys.
26:05I own an antique jewellery shop.
26:06I would love to hear more about whatever happened
26:08to the late Queen's jewellery.
26:10Where is it kept now?
26:11And are there any funny stories associated with royal jewels
26:14you can share?
26:15Has anyone ever lost anything of value?
26:19My goodness me.
26:19You just kind of left your tiara in the back of a cab
26:21on a number nine bus.
26:23Can you imagine?
26:24Yeah.
26:24Hi, Victoria.
26:26That's a great question.
26:27So the late Queen's jewellery,
26:29part of it was obviously, you know,
26:31given to her or massed through her lifetime
26:34and other stuff was handed down.
26:38And so it's kind of part of the royal collection.
26:40So I guess, for instance,
26:41the emerald gravel kokoshnik tiara
26:44that Princess Eugenie wore for her wedding day,
26:47that's part of the kind of, you know,
26:49royal collection of jewellery.
26:51The controversial emerald kokoshnik tiara, wasn't it?
26:55Wasn't there a thing about this?
26:58Didn't Meghan want it?
26:58They said no or something.
27:00So, Richard, you will not be surprised to hear
27:04that I've devoted a huge amount of time
27:07getting to the bottom of what happened
27:09with Meghan and the tiara story.
27:11Remind us of the story.
27:13Would you like to know what I found out?
27:15So over a period of about six months,
27:20stories started to seep out
27:22that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex,
27:24was quite difficult.
27:26And the first story was that
27:28she had wanted a particular tiara
27:30and had been told no.
27:32And then Harry had jumped off the deep end
27:35and had rung the Queen's dresser, Angela Kelly,
27:38and had said,
27:40why can't she have this tiara?
27:41What Meghan wants, what Meghan gets.
27:43Now, this story wasn't entirely factually accurate.
27:50So I spent a long, long time
27:52trying to sort of get behind what actually happened.
27:56To cut a long story short,
27:58it's a combination of perhaps an American
28:02who did want to do things her own way,
28:04but also maybe didn't grow up
28:06in this sort of bonkers British high society
28:10where you kind of have to learn by osmosis
28:13what rules are.
28:14So as I understand it,
28:15she asked Angela Kelly,
28:17who's the keeper of the Queen's jewels,
28:19if she could come around to KP
28:21and show us some of the tiaras.
28:22The famous AK-47.
28:24The famous AK-47.
28:25Harry and Meghan's wedding
28:26was a sort of green and white themed.
28:28All the pictures were taken
28:29in the green drawing room at Windsor
28:31and the bridesmaids had little,
28:34they had some,
28:35they were in white and green.
28:38And she asked if she could have an emerald tiara.
28:40I think that was correct.
28:41She wanted an emerald tiara.
28:43I don't know whether she'd looked up pictures
28:45and looked at one that she'd particularly.
28:46Well, I could recommend one.
28:49The Vladimir tiara.
28:50Well, that is a beautiful tiara.
28:52My favourite tiara,
28:53but never mind that for now.
28:54But anyway,
28:55so obviously that's not the way things are done
28:57because actually what happened,
28:59Meghan and Harry actually,
29:01I think narrated,
29:02I think they were so upset
29:03by the inaccuracies of this report
29:06that they actually,
29:08her wedding dress
29:09and one of the bridesmaids dress
29:10was actually,
29:11there was part of an exhibition
29:12at Buckingham Palace
29:13after they got married.
29:14So they actually narrated
29:15how the tiaras were chosen.
29:17And what happened was,
29:18was that the Queen,
29:20Elizabeth and Angela
29:21invited Meghan and Harry
29:22to come and choose a tiara.
29:24And four of them were put out.
29:25The Queen and Angela decided
29:26which ones would be lent
29:28potentially to Meghan
29:29and Meghan looked at them all
29:30and then she chose one.
29:31But then what happened?
29:33That all sounds funny.
29:34Exactly.
29:35It was lovely.
29:35So you can imagine why Harry and Meghan
29:36were really, really upset
29:37by this story about the tiara.
29:40And then,
29:40and then what happened
29:42was that Meghan's hairdresser
29:45who is American
29:46or the hairdresser
29:47for the day of the wedding
29:47is American.
29:48He was over in Paris
29:49at the Paris Fashion Week
29:51and he was going to fly into London,
29:52I think like a month
29:53before the wedding
29:53and they wanted to do
29:54a hair practice.
29:56And so then Meghan said,
29:57could I borrow the tiara
29:58to practice?
29:59Which makes sense.
30:00Which makes sense, right?
30:01Because you don't want to have to
30:02leave it to the day of the wedding
30:03and then feff around.
30:04I can't tell you
30:05the amount of barnet disasters
30:07I've had because my tiara
30:08wasn't ready.
30:09Exactly.
30:09When the barber came around.
30:10Exactly.
30:11You need to have your pins ready,
30:12don't you?
30:13You know,
30:13to make sure it doesn't fall off.
30:14So,
30:15but then Angela said,
30:17no.
30:18Now,
30:18I've heard different versions
30:19of the story.
30:20I mean,
30:20look,
30:21Kate never got to borrow
30:22the tiara before her wedding day.
30:24Richard Ward,
30:25her hairdresser,
30:26bought a plastic tiara
30:27from Claire's Accessories
30:28so they could practice
30:29how it was going to look,
30:31hair half up,
30:32hair half down.
30:32It's a great detail.
30:33That's what we come to this podcast for.
30:35Exactly.
30:36A plastic tiara
30:37from Claire's Accessories.
30:38I'll buy you one.
30:38I know you've had the real thing
30:40so you don't need a plastic one.
30:41Maybe buy one for me
30:41so I can practice with my hair.
30:42But maybe,
30:45maybe Kate knew
30:46or maybe Kate asked
30:47or maybe Kate didn't even ask.
30:49Maybe Kate being Kate,
30:50Catherine being Catherine,
30:51she just thought,
30:52well,
30:52I'll just practice
30:53with a fake one.
30:54It'll be fine.
30:55Megan asked if she could borrow
30:56the real one
30:57and I think she'd upset Angela
30:58by this point.
30:59Angela thought that,
31:00you know,
31:00this American upstart,
31:01the uppity,
31:02these things are,
31:03you know,
31:04priceless
31:04and you just can't do it.
31:05And it's then that Harry,
31:07Megan complained to Harry
31:08and Harry then rang Angela
31:11and said,
31:12what,
31:12this is ridiculous.
31:13She needs to practice
31:14with this tiara
31:15and Angela then went
31:16to the late Queen
31:16and said,
31:17your grandson's sworn at me
31:18and was very,
31:19very rude.
31:19And then the late Queen
31:20got Harry in for a dressing down
31:22saying,
31:22you do not speak
31:23to members of my staff like that.
31:24Really?
31:25Allegedly.
31:26That allegedly happened.
31:27And actually,
31:28you can kind of see,
31:28you can sightsee both sides.
31:30You can see that
31:30the AK-47 was quite cheesed off.
31:33You can see that Megan's thinking,
31:34hang on a sec,
31:35this is like the biggest day
31:35of my life.
31:36I really don't want
31:36to get anything wrong.
31:37I want the tiara to look okay.
31:39I've chosen it.
31:39It's all lovely.
31:40I don't want to let anyone down.
31:41I want it to look okay.
31:43Why would I not,
31:44you know,
31:44practice?
31:45Someone in the office
31:46talking to somebody
31:47in the other office
31:48to make that all work,
31:49really smooth it,
31:50oil the wheels a bit.
31:52Yes.
31:52And in the end,
31:53Megan wore the Queen Mary
31:54diamond bandeau tiara
31:56and it was beautiful.
31:58But to answer,
31:58I'm so sorry,
31:59Victoria,
32:00we've got slightly sidetracked
32:00to answer your question.
32:01When I was doing
32:02all my deep diving
32:03into tiaras,
32:05I thought exactly
32:06the same thing.
32:07Where are these things kept?
32:08Where's the jewellery kept?
32:09Where's all her jewellery kept?
32:10Is there like a vault
32:10or cellar underneath
32:11Buckingham Palace?
32:12Actually,
32:13there are these very secure,
32:15or what was described to me
32:16anyway,
32:17by courtiers at the palace
32:18as wardrobes.
32:20Often female members
32:21were lent
32:22pieces of jewellery
32:23and tiaras
32:24and these then became synonymous
32:26with those female members.
32:28So actually,
32:28on the shelves
32:29of one of them,
32:31these sort of wardrobes
32:32locked very under lock and key.
32:34For instance,
32:35the Duchess of Cambridge
32:35had a shelf with her name on it.
32:37The Duchess of Cornwall
32:38had a shelf with her name on it.
32:39And their favourite tiaras.
32:40Yes.
32:40And so you will see,
32:41so for instance,
32:42the Duchess of Cambridge,
32:43as was,
32:44wore the Cartier halo
32:45for her wedding
32:46and then she wore
32:47the Lovers Knot tiara,
32:49which was not Princess Diana's,
32:50but Princess Diana wore it
32:51a huge amount.
32:53So the Queen
32:54was in the habit
32:55of lending out,
32:56lending particular tiaras
32:57to particular women
32:58and then they became,
33:01they were on the shelf,
33:02on the name shelf.
33:04Obviously, Richard,
33:05recollections may vary
33:06when it comes to stories
33:08about Meghan and Harry.
33:10And look,
33:11that's what I was told.
33:12It's just,
33:13it's just alleged.
33:13But I mean,
33:14actually,
33:14I think this story explains,
33:16puts Harry and Meghan
33:17in a better light
33:17than the original one.
33:19Yeah,
33:19I was thinking
33:20a row over a tiara.
33:21That's my tip.
33:22I know that
33:24Victoria wants
33:25amusing stories.
33:26I've got,
33:27it's not really amusing,
33:27but it's about my favourite
33:28tiara,
33:29the Vladimir tiara.
33:29You love this.
33:30Can you,
33:31because I'm not sure,
33:31if people aren't au fait
33:33with the Vladimir tiara,
33:34can you just explain
33:34why it's so?
33:35It's one you'll all know.
33:36It's kind of loops
33:37of diamonds
33:37and then there are
33:38these lovely drop emeralds
33:40hanging in the,
33:41in the sort of spaces
33:42in the loop.
33:43Occasionally pearls.
33:44You can put pearls
33:45in there,
33:45you can put emeralds
33:47in there.
33:47Or if you have,
33:48it's called a widow tiara
33:49if you don't put
33:50anything in at all.
33:51But it was Queen Mary
33:52acquired it
33:52from the Grand Duchess
33:54Vladimir of Russia
33:55who unfortunately
33:56after the Russian Revolution
33:58she and her descendants
33:59found themselves
33:59on hard times
34:00and so Queen Mary
34:01who knew the value
34:02of a pound
34:02managed to pick it up
34:03for a song.
34:04And I just like the idea
34:04of it's probably
34:05the most distinctive
34:06of the tiaras
34:07that you would see
34:07the late queen in.
34:09It was one of her favourites
34:10and actually
34:11I wondered
34:12when this whole
34:13tiara gate flared up
34:15and Meghan wanted
34:16a green and emerald tiara
34:17I wondered
34:19whether she wanted
34:19that one
34:20because that was
34:20the one that
34:21if you Google
34:22Queen Elizabeth
34:23and tiara
34:23you would have
34:25probably
34:25that would have
34:26been the green
34:26that would have
34:27been the emerald tiara
34:27that came up the most.
34:28I mean if I were Hollywood
34:29and I were looking
34:30for a green themed wedding
34:31and I were in the market
34:32for a royal tiara
34:33it would be my first pick.
34:35Yeah.
34:35Imagine how you'd sparkle
34:36imagine how you'd flash
34:37imagine how you'd dazzle.
34:39Have you got green eyes?
34:40No I haven't
34:40I've got kind of
34:42nondescript colour eyes
34:43like kind of
34:43like a mouse's belly.
34:45Oh!
34:45Are you telling me
34:46you've got grey eyes?
34:47I don't know
34:47I never really look
34:48at my own eyes.
34:49I know someone
34:50whose family were posh
34:51and they
34:52she got married
34:53and she borrowed
34:54the family tiara
34:55to wear for the wedding
34:56and then she put it
34:57in a Sainter's bag
34:58and drove down
34:58from Scotland with it
34:59and then left it
35:00in Watford Gap services.
35:01No!
35:02She didn't
35:02she just brought it
35:03with her for safety
35:04then forgot about it
35:05but when she went back
35:05it was still there.
35:07That is lucky.
35:09Victoria that was
35:10a great question
35:10has anything ever been lost
35:11they would probably
35:12never tell us
35:12never admit
35:13but top fact
35:15on the morning
35:16of Princess Elizabeth's
35:17wedding to
35:19Philip of Greece
35:19her wedding day tiara
35:22the fringe tiara
35:22snapped in half
35:23and had to be rushed
35:24to the jewellers
35:25to be repaired
35:26and of course famously
35:27that was the tiara
35:28that Beatrice also wore
35:29on her wedding day.
35:29If you've got any questions
35:31please do email us
35:32at royals
35:33at spirit-dj's.com
35:35do like and subscribe
35:36on YouTube
35:37and follow us
35:38on social media
35:39but jewellery related
35:41question for you
35:42Richard
35:42and for you
35:44too
35:45the imperial state crown
35:47is one of the most
35:47important pieces
35:48in the monarch's collection
35:49how much
35:50in monetary terms
35:52is it worth?
35:53Oh gosh
35:54that's a really hard question
35:55I'm going to look
35:56into Richard's eyes
35:57we'll be back after this
36:03Welcome back
36:04to Catching Up With The Royals
36:05before the break
36:05I asked you
36:06how much
36:07in monetary terms
36:08is the imperial state
36:09crown worth?
36:11What do you reckon Richard?
36:12I would say
36:12you couldn't put a price on it
36:14because it's got
36:14the Cullinan diamond
36:15exactly
36:16hasn't it
36:17so one of the world's
36:18most famous
36:19some might say
36:19notorious jewels
36:21political
36:22how do you put a value
36:24on that?
36:24I don't know
36:24no I think probably
36:25the answer would be
36:26priceless
36:26if it was on
36:27Antiques Roadshow
36:28and they had to
36:29give a value
36:30yes
36:30or an insurance claim
36:32oh can you imagine
36:32losing the imperial state crown
36:34one billion
36:35it contains
36:372800 plus diamonds
36:39the Cullinan 2 diamond
36:41which is 317 carats
36:42and St Edward's Sapphire
36:44the imperial state crown
36:45I mean it is so
36:46it's the blingiest
36:47of crowns
36:47it's the blingiest
36:48of crowns
36:49and also
36:49I mean I don't imagine
36:51it's something that would be
36:52easy to wear
36:54no I mean
36:54famously
36:55Queen Elizabeth said
36:56that it was very heavy
36:57and practiced wearing it
36:58and apparently
36:59during World War 2
37:00obviously
37:01if the Germans had invaded
37:03it would have been
37:03such a symbol
37:04it would have been like
37:04you know
37:05in the Roman army
37:06even Braun would have been
37:07in it like that
37:07well exactly
37:08I mean Hitler would have
37:09wanted our crown jewels
37:10right
37:10it was like you know
37:10stealing the kind of
37:11you know
37:11the imperium
37:12in the Roman army
37:13but during World War 2
37:14the crown jewels were hidden
37:15within Windsor Castle
37:16at one point
37:17they were reportedly stored
37:18in a biscuit tin
37:19and buried
37:20just in case
37:21well that's good
37:22isn't it
37:22it is
37:23talk about Windsor Castle
37:24that has seen a lot of action
37:26recently
37:26as the
37:27for state banquets
37:28and we have a question
37:30from Felix
37:32I read recently
37:33how Charles and Camilla
37:34adapted their usual
37:36state banquet style
37:36to host the president
37:37of Nigeria
37:38during Ramadan
37:39do they usually go
37:40to this much effort
37:40please tell us
37:42the secrets
37:42of a state banquet
37:44well I mean
37:45I would hope
37:45that they would make an effort
37:47if you did have
37:47Muslim guests coming
37:48well then of course
37:49you're going to adapt
37:50to Ramadan
37:51but I suppose
37:52you can't feed people
37:53can you
37:53or give them a drink
37:54until sunset
37:55so your timings
37:57might be tricky
37:57yes
37:58so actually
37:59it was really interesting
38:00I think it was
38:01the first time
38:02ever
38:03that they had hosted
38:06a Muslim head of state
38:07during Ramadan
38:07they hosted
38:09President Bola Tinebu
38:10of Nigeria
38:11and his wife
38:11Oloremi Tinebu
38:13now she's actually
38:14Christian
38:14but he is Muslim
38:16I think the palace
38:18handled it
38:18very sensitively
38:19because normally
38:21what happens
38:21on day one
38:23of a state visit
38:24it's the royal day
38:24and it follows
38:26a tried and tested formula
38:28so the head of state
38:30arrives
38:31there'll be a lunch
38:32a private lunch
38:33with many members
38:35of the royal family
38:36what sort of lunch
38:37would you get
38:37are you talking about
38:38sandwiches and soup
38:39are you talking about
38:39no proper sit down
38:40three course
38:41but it's private
38:42and not too much
38:43I think one of the dangers
38:44of this thing
38:45is that you just get so fat
38:46because you're just
38:47food on food
38:48on food
38:48on food
38:49on food
38:49absolutely
38:49and you've got
38:50the state banquet
38:51that evening
38:51so you don't want
38:52to have too much
38:53but obviously
38:54with President Tinebu
38:55he was fasting
38:57because it was Ramadan
38:58so instead
38:59the king
39:01and the president
39:02held a bilat
39:03as they like to call it
39:04in diplomatic circles
39:04but a meeting
39:05basically
39:06so the king
39:07didn't eat anything
39:08and he doesn't eat lunch
39:09anyway
39:09so he was probably
39:09quite relieved
39:10and then the queen
39:12and Oloremi
39:14Mrs. Tinebu
39:15they had lunch
39:16together separately
39:17and then
39:18for a state banquet
39:20it's four courses
39:21starter
39:22main course
39:23English
39:23they have cheese
39:24and then dessert
39:26obviously in France
39:27they have dessert
39:28and then they have cheese
39:29but normally
39:30at a state banquet
39:31before you sit down
39:32you circulate
39:33with canapes
39:34and fizz
39:35but at IFTA
39:37at sundown
39:38IFTA is when you
39:39break the fast
39:39they serve the canapes
39:40early
39:41so then that was
39:42the breaking of the fast
39:43got it
39:44that's sensitive
39:45and thoughtful
39:46and I applaud that
39:47I think it's good
39:48to know your guests
39:49well it's good
39:50to be able to
39:51you know
39:51there's these tried
39:51and tested formulas
39:52for state banquets
39:53but it's really good
39:54to be able to
39:54change things up
39:55now I knew a bloke
39:56who used to serve
39:58at royal banquets
39:58but he was like
39:59a freelance
40:00a footman
40:01so they
40:02if they're a big royal banquets
40:02you need more staff
40:03than they've normally got
40:04so they get them in
40:05but he said
40:06they did a thing
40:06they have like
40:07a traffic light thing
40:08so you know
40:09when to advance
40:10dance on your diner
40:12it's all coordinated
40:14so it all seems to happen
40:15just magically
40:15but actually they do it
40:16by traffic lights
40:17do you know about that?
40:18Yeah
40:18well I think that's
40:19very sensible isn't it
40:19because it's basically
40:20choreography
40:21you're basically organising
40:22a huge dance
40:23aren't you
40:23because at a state banquet
40:25there can be as many
40:26as 200, 300 people
40:27I mean I've been in the
40:29I've been in Buckingham Palace
40:31when they've set up
40:32for the first state visit
40:34of President Trump
40:35so what happens
40:36in a state banquet
40:37obviously the visiting team
40:40are contacted
40:41by the palace
40:42and asking likes
40:45dislikes
40:46drinks
40:47you know
40:48pillow duvet strength
40:51because of course
40:51they stay over
40:52at Buckingham Palace
40:53or Windsor Castle
40:53after the banquet
40:56Do they all have breakfast
40:58together in the morning?
40:59Yes
40:59yes
41:00or they have
41:00yeah they can
41:01when I was there
41:02for Trump's first visit
41:04in Buckingham Palace
41:06obviously you've got to
41:07serve a huge amount
41:08of people
41:08I mean it's a
41:09it was a horseshoe
41:11shaped table
41:12with another kind of
41:13prong in the middle
41:13almost like a W
41:15and all those people
41:16have to be pretty much
41:17served at the same time
41:18because otherwise
41:19the food goes cold
41:20because the main course
41:21is always hot
41:22sometimes the starter
41:23is too
41:23and so it is like
41:25choreographing
41:26a huge opera
41:27or dance
41:28so that everyone
41:29gets their food
41:29at the same time
41:30and you can't
41:31start eating
41:32before the monarch
41:33there's also protocol
41:35that once the monarch
41:36stops eating
41:36you have to too
41:37I think that's been
41:38relaxed somewhat
41:39definitely relaxed
41:41under King Charles
41:42and the Queen
41:43always used to make sure
41:44that she ate slowly
41:46she shouldn't put her
41:46knife and fork together
41:48so that if people
41:50were slightly slower eaters
41:51they didn't feel
41:52they had to rush
41:53and of course
41:53you don't really eat
41:55anything after a while
41:56they feel that's your
41:56kind of regular diet
41:57you don't really eat it
41:58do you have a sandwich
41:59later in your room
42:01I'm thinking about the Queen
42:02she liked a Tupperware
42:04box of cornflakes
42:05didn't she
42:05that kind of thing
42:06well here's some other
42:07interesting things
42:08about Royal Banquets
42:09right
42:09the set up can take
42:11five days
42:12because you get
42:13a thousand pieces
42:14of cutlery
42:15have all got to be
42:15polished and made
42:16absolutely sparkling
42:17six glasses
42:19at every place setting
42:21so make sure
42:21everything from your
42:22cherry to your
42:23claret to your
42:24white burgundy
42:25is appropriately presented
42:26no garlic
42:28no garlic
42:29and no shellfish
42:30no shellfish
42:31we don't want
42:31no
42:32we don't want
42:33anyone being sick
42:33and did you also
42:34know that the meal
42:35in case you'd fallen
42:36asleep
42:37twelve pipers
42:38walk around the room
42:39which is a tradition
42:40that goes back
42:41to Queen Victoria
42:41I love that
42:42something that
42:43King Charles
42:44has introduced
42:44actually
42:45he has slimmed
42:46down the
42:48menu
42:48so there also
42:50used to be a
42:50fruit course
42:51as well
42:51he's kind of
42:52got rid of that
42:53and sometimes
42:55and he's
42:56kind of streamlined
42:57like he streamlined
42:58the monarchy
42:58streamlined
42:59state banquets
43:00the menu's in French
43:01I'm sure
43:02for visiting guests
43:03it's also
43:03in their
43:04language too
43:07and
43:07every ingredient
43:08is that the chefs
43:10use
43:10there's a
43:11core team
43:12of twenty chefs
43:12I think
43:13and sometimes
43:14as you say
43:14more are drafted
43:15in for state banquets
43:16but every ingredient
43:17is checked
43:17for imperfections
43:19before it's used
43:20ripeness
43:21appearance
43:21cut
43:22my favourite thing
43:23is when you
43:24I get to go in
43:25to see the
43:26table when it's laid
43:27as you say
43:27it can take
43:28five or six
43:29days to lay
43:29and actually
43:30the palace
43:30have got some
43:31really quite cool
43:32social media videos
43:33now where they've
43:34filmed it over
43:35the six days
43:36and then it's
43:36speeded up
43:37into two minutes
43:38it's well worth
43:38watching if you
43:39haven't before
43:40the flowers
43:41for the Nigerian
43:42state visit
43:43the spring flowers
43:44Richard
43:44the smell
43:45was just divine
43:47it was
43:48Charles is very much
43:49into kind of
43:50the whole holistic
43:51senses
43:51so it's not just
43:52it's the smell
43:53it's the taste
43:54it's the sensation
43:55it's the colour
43:55and often the flowers
43:57at state banquets
43:58are chosen to reflect
43:59the colours of the
44:00national flag
44:01that is
44:02of the visiting
44:03dignitaries
44:04well I'm afraid
44:05that's all we've got
44:05time for
44:06from the show
44:07that always explains
44:08but never complains
44:09and please do
44:11follow
44:12like and subscribe
44:13on YouTube
44:14catch us on
44:14five on Saturdays
44:16and follow us
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44:18on Facebook
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44:20have a great week
44:21everyone
44:22we'll catch you
44:22next week
44:23bye
44:25bye
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