She’s in a JAM!” Royal expert reacts to Meghan Markle’s shock As Ever move | Palace Confidential
What historic moment inspired King Charles to recall his dear late mother?
How is it that this week we had not one, not two, not three, but four new additions to the British royal family?
And what the heck is Hexit? Lots to come on this week’s episode of Palace Confidential.
Hello and welcome to Palace Confidential. I’m Joe Elvin, and on today’s panel, we have a double dose of Richards: The Daily Mail’s editor-at-large, Richard Kay, and the paper’s diary editor, Richard Eden. Welcome to you both.
Now, have you joined the over 440,000 people who have already subscribed to the Daily Mail Royal YouTube channel? If you haven’t, are you okay? We are getting so close to the 450,000 subscriber mark. So, please help us by clicking the subscribe button below. It’s free, and it ensures that you never miss another episode of Palace Confidential or any of our other great royal content, including a special new series called Acting Royal, which premiered this week. I’ll have more on that for you later.
Also coming up, our very own Rebecca English’s exclusive video diary from Ottawa, which even name-checks some of our wonderful Canadian viewers. You’ve got to stick around for all of that. What a show. And we’ve only just started. Well, so let’s get to my panel.
Richard K., welcome to you. Now, King Charles received a very warm welcome in Canada this week, and we’ve got a lot of very loyal, lovely Canadian viewers who are watching the show. So, what did you make of the reception he got?
Oh, it was a terrific reception, and I think it really played to very strong themes which are going on in North America and, in particular, in Canada. First of all, of course, it was the king’s first visit as monarch. And, um, they’re very particular about the fact that in Canada, Charles is king of Canada. He’s not the king of England on an overseas trip. He’s coming home. And, in fact, he was greeted on multiple occasions by the phrase “Welcome home.” And I think that was a key to the whole thing.
But also, of course, the underlying current in this brief visit— which was only 24 hours— was the sort of rebuke, if that is the right word, that he was delivering to President Trump’s ambitions to annex Canada, a vital part of the British Commonwealth, as its 51st state, or as America’s 51st state. It’s interesting, isn’t it, Richard Eden? Because royal commentators, including Rebecca English, have written about Charles walking this so-called political tightrope in Ottawa. How do you think he’s done with that?
I think he’s done very well. I mean, it genuinely has been a tightrope because, at the same time as this visit, the British government is keen to keep, um, the new American President Donald Trump on side. So, that’s the challenge for the king. And I think I wouldn’t underestimate it. I think he has played a big role in trying to calm tensions, frankly. And, um, you’ll notice that Trump has piped down a bit recently. You know, he had Mark Carney at the White House, but he does seem to have toned down the rhetoric a lot, and I think the king’s played a part in that, because Donald Trump is, um, he loves the royal family and is looking forward to visiting Britain. So, I think he is more and more aware of those sensitivities.
But it’s not a neutral statement, is it? To rush there on a seemingly, uh, short-notice planned state visit.
Absolutely not. I mean, it was done deliberately in response to Trump’s ambitions. And, uh, I hear what Richard says, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that, on the moment that the king arrived in Canada, Trump was tweeting or posting messages on True Social about how he hopes that Canada will join the Golden Dome defense mechanism he wants to erect all over the United States, which he says would be free for Canadians if they become the 51st state. So, the rhetoric hasn’t dialed down from the White House quite yet.
No. And I, it’s so interesting, isn’t it? Because, obviously, we’re really proud of the politically neutral space the royal family has—and needs to have. But, inevitably, in these sorts of world situations, you will be dragged into these discussions, one way or another.
It’s extremely difficult for members of the royal family because, however we like to phrase them—as international statespeople or statesmen—they’re not. They’re figureheads of a constitutional monarchy, and they’re very circumscribed by what they can say and how they can say it. And, although we know—because Richard and I have followed Charles as an outspoken Prince of Wales for many years—he must have been bursting to say something more, he very much reflects the wishes of both the British government and the Canadian government in what he can say.
It is tricky. But, Richard Eden, what do the other members of the royal family do during times like Charles’s state visit?
The answer to that is as little as possible. You know, that sounds nice. It’s an important geopolitical visit. It’s important for Britain and for Canada. So, generally, other members of the royal family don’t do anything to take the headlines away.
But what we’ve seen this week is that it doesn’t affect ex-working royals like Harry and Meghan.
I was going to say, who could you be referring to? So, it wasn’t just the king making a foreign visit this week; it was Harry, which was quite a surprise. He turned up in Shanghai, China. So, we’re all wondering—what’s he doing there, visiting this communist, in my opinion, appalling regime?
Well, he was there for a tourism conference. He’s involved in this—it’s not a charity but an organization called Travel List, involved in eco-travel. So, he got on his jet and racked up a few more air miles to get to this conference in China. But obviously, that’s sensitive. He’s done it when the king is in Canada. But I would also say it’s very interesting. I’d love to know more about why he’s there. Is he forging new business links? We know that he and Meghan are very keen to make a lot of money. Do you see that as something provocative, Richard Kay, or just coincidence?
I think it is. On this occasion, it’s coincidence. The king’s visit to Canada was scheduled at the last minute in royal terms. Certainly not six months ago when most royal visits are planned. I mean, Princess Anne was also out and about on the day that the king was in Canada—quite rightly. We’ll probably be discussing that later, the visit she was on.
And I think it is difficult to coordinate all diaries when you get a sudden addition like, “You’ve got to go and open Parliament in Ottawa.” I guess the critics might say that he was flying commercial. He could have read the room and canceled that. He could have done it on Zoom. Did he really have to travel all that way for a meet-and-greet? Because that’s what it looked like.
Let’s be clear: we’ve seen Harry on video calls so many times. I remember, for example, the Diana Awards—once he was in some lovely chalet on a ski holiday with rich friends, and you saw him chatting with the winners of the Diana Award. So, on that occasion, he felt fine doing it from there. He didn’t want to interrupt his holiday. No. But in this case, he’s felt the need to fly over to China. So, I think what we’ve learned about Harry over the last five years is: Harry will do what suits Harry.
Yeah. Yeah, I think you’re right. But let’s just go back to this state visit for a second, Richard K. You’ve been on many of them. What is it like? And do you have a standout memory from one?
Well, state visits are usually longer than 24 hours. The interesting thing about this flying visit by the king and queen is that they remained, I’m told by Buckingham Palace, on UK time. One of the problems you get on a tour where you’re eight or nine hours away from the UK is adjusting your body. On this occasion, they knew they simply wouldn’t have enough time to do that. So, credit to the king, who’s still having cancer treatment, and to the queen, who’s come to this life late—her 70s—where she’s sort of on permanent public show. Yet, they had to subsume their natural tiredness and fatigue to carry out a full day and a bit of engagements.
My own memories of the last time I went to Canada with Charles—then Prince Charles—are of him still married to Diana, shortly before their separation. They were always very popular in Canada, and the royals like going there. It’s a home away from home for them. I remember one engagement: opening a new hospital. A perfectly straightforward royal visit. They were opening a hospital, went into a ward, and all the beds were laid out with apparently patients sitting or lying in bed. Diana chatted with some of them, sat on a bed or two. Afterwards, we discovered that all the patients were actors, and the hospital wasn’t technically ready—so they couldn’t have real patients. It sounds a bit North Korea-esque. Did Diana know about this? No; it emerged afterwards. It was hilarious. It made for a funny story, of course.
And these guys revealed to us that they were just actors, pulled back the bedclothes—they were fully clothed, not in pajamas or waiting for operations. That’s quite a story. But of course, that was also the trip where we got that amazing bit of footage of Diana with William and Harry running into her arms. Yeah. Fantastic. I’m not sure who ran into whom—Diana or William and Harry—but they were meeting after several days apart on the royal yacht Britannia. It’s a historic piece of footage because it was so different for the royals at the time to be that tactile with their children in public.
It’s fascinating, isn’t it? Well, the King and Queen aren’t the only ones on that state visit. If you’re wondering where Rebecca English is today, you guessed it—she is recovering from her whistle-stop 48 hours in Canada with Charles and Camilla. We let her go and have a rest, but she has sent us a very special video diary from Ottawa, which is coming up later in the show. You won’t want to miss it, because it features some Palace Confidential viewers. So, stay tuned for that.
And, speaking of our wonderful viewers from around the world, it’s time for your comments. After watching the previous episode of Palace Confidential, Elsa Dixon wrote: “Last week, I was granted British citizenship. I’m an American, but my mother is British, and I took an oath of allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III. I felt quite emotional when the officiant declared me a British citizen, and what a more perfect way to celebrate this great honor than to watch the very best show on royal news, Palace Confidential.” Oh, that’s lovely. Congratulations, Elsa. I know exactly that feeling of getting your British citizenship, so I’m with you there.
Now, responding to Rebecca’s news that Camilla’s new puppy, Moly, is chewing through the royal furniture, Diana Marie P. wrote in with a very hot life hack: “Greetings from Oz, Rebecca. Please pass on to the Queen: hot English mustard on the chair legs. Papo will never go back to them again.” Oh my goodness. My dad, born in Nottingham, smothered our chewed wood in it and never had it touched again. Our border collie pup is now a happy 10-year-old—and probably with a very, very great disdain for hot mustard.
Caramel Deacon was so moved by our Chelsea Flower Show montage that she commented: “Those beautiful photos of our late, beloved Queen made me cry. We miss you, Your Majesty.” We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Carmel. Make sure to stick around for another one of our world-famous montages at the end of this episode, showing the King and Queen Camilla on their monumental visit to Canada, plus an exclusive video diary from Rebecca.
As I mentioned earlier—the brand new series Acting Royal dropped on the Daily Mail Royals YouTube channel this week, starring our very own Richard Eden, Rebecca English, and friend of the show Charlotte Griffiths. The trio sat down to watch fictional portrayals of Harry and Meghan across film and TV.
This is very cheeky to include, isn’t it? Gosh, did they pay you a lot for that? Some of those were outrageous. Well, it’s safe to say their reactions are hilarious, and the show is already receiving some glowing reviews. So, commenting on the first episode, you—Enia, I hope I’ve got your name right—said, “I watch you every single day, all the way from Mexico. I’m such a big fan. Richard and Rebecca, you two are absolutely brilliant together. I truly love this new format. It’s fresh, engaging, and so well produced. Please continue with the royal content.”
While Jackie Z—again, I hope I’ve said that right—wrote, “It’s my birthday. I’m 74. Well, happy birthday! I was feeling a bit down, then your video popped up. Hilarious. Thank you for all the belly laughs. Great job.” And Lexi Mitch said, “Please, please, please have them do the South Park show—or at least clips. That was great, but too short.” Well, not only do we hear you, Lexi, but I can exclusively reveal that South Park will feature in the second episode of Acting Royal, which is coming very soon.
Now, if you want to be notified about when it’s coming out, hit that subscribe button right now. Thanks for all those comments and the overwhelming love for our new series, Acting Royal, part one of which will play directly after this episode.
Right, back to The Two Richards—almost as iconic as The Two Ronnies. Now, Richard Eden, you wrote a really interesting column for Mail Plus this week. It was all about Meghan Markle, basically telling tales of herself.
Well, that’s one way of putting it. It’s the ongoing, rather chaotic saga I have to say about the launch of her lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard. Now, it’s as ever—this week, not with love—after the TV show, just to give all the notes.
Yeah. So, this week, she gave an interview—which was really rather odd. To put this in context: people might remember she launched her website with products to buy. It was mainly things like jams and sprinkles of flowers to put on food. Very expensive. Anyway, it sold out almost immediately. And if you go to the website now, it’s got all these signs: “Sold out, sold out.”
People are wondering, when’s she going to restock this stuff? You know, she must have more jam tucked away. Well, it takes a while to make, but it’s been weeks and weeks, and no more jam. Anyway, she’s given an interview suggesting there may be no more jam. She said that was it, and they’re reassessing everything, and it may be not till next year—that is, she’s talking about the second course—so it could be like ten months before there are any new products. And they might not be jams or anything—they might be completely new things, such as in the hospitality sphere. She was talking about tableware, cutlery, that sort of thing.
But it’s just adding to the air of chaos and mess surrounding this brand. It feels like throwing a lot of things at the wall and seeing what sticks, doesn’t it? It’s odd. I think that’s almost what she’s admitted, because she said, “We want to see what’s popular.” But it’s a very unusual way to launch a business. Anyone else would think, “What’s the point of this business? What are we going to sell?” And then you’d have enough of it, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t just have a few things and see if they sell or not.
What do you both think is the future for American Riviera Orchard? Because it feels like this is a massive loss in momentum.
Yeah, I agree. And I also agree with Richard. It seems she’s dipping her toe in the water, seeing what works and what doesn’t. But plainly, whatever criticisms of Megan and Harry, the fact is the jam, for example, proved extremely popular. Yet she didn’t produce enough of it. There was a huge hullabaloo around it, but you can’t get it now.
It’s a bit like that old wartime phrase—“Jam tomorrow, but never jam today.” And, let’s face it, she’s in a jam—quite frankly. I don’t know. I think you’re right. She’s throwing out ideas, seeing what gets the most momentum behind it.
Yeah. I suppose, in one sense, it’s entrepreneurial bravery—if it’s courageous to be, and to be honest about it. I don’t know. We’ve seen this a lot with Megan and Harry before, where they kind of, certainly in Megan’s case, are very keen to get publicity, very keen to announce things. Yeah. But then, it doesn’t really happen.
Initially, when she launched her website or Instagram page for American Riviera Orchard, it was a whole year before anything happened. And, you know, it’s been interesting—I think the number of followers for her Instagram page has been dipping a bit. It just seems like she’s keen for attention, keen for publicity, but doesn’t really have a plan for how to make it work.
And now we know she sets herself the task every night of emailing her children—quite a lot of time, isn’t it? Hello. It’s just crazy.
Now, The Daily Mail’s Allison Boshoff revealed on Saturday that a third series of With Love with Megan will, quote-unquote, “almost certainly” be commissioned. And apparently, the boss of Netflix is a big fan. So, a question to you both: will you be tuning in?
Oh, please, please. The things I’ve had to endure for this program, and you will endure more.
No, it was a really interesting piece by Alison Boshoff because, essentially, people will remember that when Harry and Megan signed their deal with Netflix, it was big—estimates of $75 million, maybe even $100 million—and it was for production. They were going to make lots of different programs.
Well, what Alison was reporting is that any future deal will be much smaller. It’ll be more of a case-by-case basis. So, yes, they might contract you for another series of With Love, but probably Harry won’t be involved as much.
I have to correct myself—I think I said With Love from Megan, but it’s With Love, Megan, isn’t it?
What about you, Richard K.? I find it the television equivalent of waterboarding.
Please make it stop. I’ll tell you anything you want.
Yeah. I suppose, out of professional curiosity, I will have to watch it. I sort of forced my way through the first series. The thing that Netflix has hooked onto is, of course, that…
Let me know if you’d like any further edits!
