Is the criticism of Harry and Meghan's Australia tour unfair?

Was Harry and Meghan's trip to Australia really "a cash-grabbing, money-making exercise"? This week, the Talking Politics team discuss whether the Sussexes tour Down Under felt uncomfortable, due to the combination of charitable and commercial opportunities. Harry and Meghan kicked off the visit by dropping into a hospital in Melbourne, where they met sick children, their families and medical staff. Meghan then served up a meal in the kitchen of a women's shelter, while Prince Harry honoured fallen veterans. In a surprise move, the Duchess also appeared on Australian Masterchef as a guest judge. But, the couple have come under scrutiny in the local media for using Australia as "an ATM". Notably, the Duchess of Sussex appeared at a female-only wellness retreat in Sydney, where tickets started at A$2,699 (£1,430) per person. So if other non-working royals like Zara and Mike Tindall can exploit commercial opportunities, shouldn't the Sussexes be able to use the same model? And why does Meghan get criticised for wearing expensive clothes, while Kate is praised for the doing the same?

The Talking Royals team are back! This week, Charlene, Chris and Lizzie discuss Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's absence from the recent Easter Service.Plus, in this week's episode we're joined by esteemed royal biographer Hugo Vickers, who has written a book to mark the 100th anniversary of the late Queen’s birth. He recalls Queen Elizabeth’s distress and concern about the future of her son, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, after he was linked to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.And...Are criticisms of the Sussexes fair? Charlene and Hugo debate whether it’s fair to say that Prince Harry and Meghan neglected their duty when they left the royal family. At the time, the couple said they intended to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen." In a statement, the Duchess of Sussex said she was "saddened" by reports that she was rude to staff at Kensington Palace and described it as "attack on her character."And Hugo reveals why the Queen refused to take calls from her grandson, Prince Harry, without anyone else present in the room.And, as hundreds of items from the late Queen’s wardrobe go on display in Buckingham Palace, Lizzie explains why Elizabeth’s stunning wedding dress might never be seen in public again.And which royal couple will be having a Summer wedding in June?

Have Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie been quietly sidelined by the King? Could they be stripped of their royal titles? And where is Fergie? Join our royal experts for their weekly conversation covering all the significant royal topics of the week.Chris, Lizzie and Lucrezia discuss how the two sisters' reputation has been affected by the arrest of their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Beatrice was last seen publicly with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, at Sandringham for the Christmas Day service, alongside her sister Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank.Chris reveals the mood in the palace since Princess Beatrice and Eugenie's names were included in the latest release of the Epstein files.Plus, are the royal sisters still talking to their mother, Sarah Ferguson? And where could she be hiding? The former Duchess of York has not been seen in months, despite constant press speculation about her whereabouts.Being named in the Epstein files does not automatically imply wrongdoing or criminal activity. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have previously denied all wrongdoing.Don't forget, if you want to have a look at all the fantastic archive footage we use, head to the Talking Royals Youtube channel to watch.

What were the hidden details you might have missed from the royals' Nigerian state banquet? The Talking Royals team delve into what really happens when the King plays host at Windsor Castle.From Princess Kate's stunning banquet gown, to the King holding hands with the Nigerian President, plus everything that the guests ate and drank.And what did TikTok icon 'Bus Aunty' say to the monarch, when she met him at a special royal reception? Bemi Orojuogun joins us in the studio to tell us what it meant to her to meet the King.Plus: What did Harry and Meghan have to say about the royal author who criticised the Invictus games? Find out what was in the Sussexes' jaw-dropping response.

An extraordinary never-before-seen photo uncovered by ITV News shows Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Jeffrey Epstein and Lord Mandelson together for the first time.The photo is thought to have been taken sometime between 1999 and 2000, before Epstein was imprisoned in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor. It was released as part of the Epstein files.The image shows Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson dressed in bathrobes sat around a table with Epstein, drinking from mugs with the US flag on.It comes after a week in which the royal family gathered for the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. As the King and Queen arrived dozens of protesters chanted at them, “What did you know?”In this week’s episode, Chris, Lizzie, Charlene and Russell Myers discuss this new photo, plus what it could mean for the royal family.We’ve got all the new details about Harry and Meghan’s trip to Australia next month, and their recent split with Netflix.Plus, stay tuned until the end for a special royal film quiz.

Royal photographer Chris Jackson joins Charlene, Chris and Lizzie to discuss his long career taking many of the most iconic photographs in modern Royal history.He talks through the pressure of getting the perfect photos of the King, late Queen, and others - and capturing the Royal Family's highest and lowest moments.Also - with the US-Israel entering war with Iran this week, what does it mean for the King's scheduled state visit to the U.S. next year? And how do the team assess the King's ability to deal with Donald Trump's character?The team also react to the Prince and Princess of Wales' St David's Day message - the first time we've heard Kate speaking Welsh.And they take a look at Kate's latest spot of dancing to celebrate Indian culture at a dance company in Leicester.

In this week’s episode of Talking Royals, Charlene, Chris and Lizzie discuss whether Meghan and Harry should have ever been allowed to leave the royal family. And is the Palace now missing that Meghan Markle magic?Charlene, Chris and Lizzie recorded this episode right after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s surprise trip to Jordan made global headlines — including reports that they were “snubbed” by the Jordanian royal family. The British royal family have a famously close relationship with the Jordanian royals, with the Crown Prince and Prince William maintaining a genuine friendship. So in this episode we unpack how Harry and Meghan's humanitarian‑focused visit was received, and whether the timing caused any tension back home.Meanwhile, as the Royal Family continues grappling with the crisis involving Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor, our experts explore how the ongoing scandal is impacting royal work, public perception, and discussions around the line of succession.And at the BAFTAs on Sunday night, there was an unexpected hot-mic moment from Prince William. When asked if he’d watched the new Hamnet movie, he was overhead admitting “I’m not in a calm state”. So was the comment a subtle reference to the Andrew situation, or were the newspaper headlines overwritten?Plus, is Kensington Palace’s commitment to social media content the most significant change to royal reporting in the past decade?

It’s the photo that will define a moment in history for the royal family. A press photographer captured the split second that the former Prince Andrew was driven away from a Norfolk police station after being arrested.So how was the iconic photo of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor captured? Our royal experts, Chris and Lizzie, tell Charlene everything they have learned about that moment, the historic arrest and release of a former Prince.This week, Andrew became the first member of the royal family to be arrested in more than 350 years. So is this a constitutional crisis for King Charles? Or can he weather the storm?

Historic scenes in Sandringham, as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Our royal experts talk through what we know, and what this means for the royal family.Plain-clothed police officers were seen arriving at the royal property, before Thames Valley Police confirmed the news of an arrest.Shortly afterwards, King Charles III released an unprecedented statement expressing his 'deepest concern' over the news of his brother’s arrest. The monarch added that “nobody is above the law”. It comes just weeks after more than 3 million files relating to Jeffrey Epstein were released by the US Department of Justice.So what next for the royal family? What exactly is going on behind palace doors? And should the royal family have acted earlier?

What happened when Prince William decided to speak out on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein? And did the statement go far enough? Listen as Chris and Lizzie describe how it all unfolded, while they were in Saudi Arabia with Prince William. They talk us through how they found out that Kensington Palace, and Buckingham Palace, decided to end the royal wall of silence, addressing the allegations against the former-Prince Andrew. So what did Buckingham Palace’s statement on Andrew say? How does Prince William really feel about his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor? And what are the police now looking into? A reminder, that ITV News have put the latest allegations to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor who did not respond, and when he was previously approached for a response he strenuously denied all wrongdoing.