Th- this is, this is a technicality that for him it makes sense to jump on the back of, right?

right?Yes, and I've always, um, felt that at times Andrew, in the Epstein files, um, I'm not condoning anything he's done or allegedly done, and this relates bearing in mind when he was trade envoy and passing on maybe sensitive information, financial information to Epstein, which was sort of going beyond his remit, which you shouldn't do.

You know, if he's privy to as, as a government employer, you're sort of bound by, got the, obviously, um, your position working as a trade envoy.

You shouldn't be passing on sensitive information, and that's what the allegations centers around.

But there's always a feeling that when you look, he is at times you feel the low-hanging fruit in this, 'cause where are the other people who are, uh, um, were in Epstein's circle? In America it seems to have been brushed under the carpet to some extent, and it is Andrew is the one that i- he seems to be the, the easy victim here.

I'm not actually defending any of the allegations.

Yeah

...

Should King Charles react to the accusation that he is to blame for this loss?

He shouldn't say anything, um, because just go, carry on regardless.

On- once- if he starts, or members of the royal family start responding to all this stuff, then we, then it just starts to spiral out of control.

The King has done what he had to do through that letter saying, "Right, we now know the ground rules," and he's not now going to respond.

And I do think it is sad that he doesn't go to Invictus.

The King, um, has to be put in this difficult position about what does he do about the Invictus Games, because under any normal circumstances you'd expect him to go to this because as the leader of our armed forces, this is exactly the sort of thing the King should be going.

So somehow, and I know that people taking part would probably really appreciate the King going there, and that is the dilemma for the King.

Wow.

Do you think financially that they're in a position to handle a move like this themselves? Or do you think that there is someone supporting them and helping them navigate, um, Regxit?

Well, in terms of the schooling, I mean, most parents try and actually visit the school that they're gonna go and send to.

So have they got, um, some people who've g- gone and visit the schools? I'm sure there's endless NDAs in place to make sure that, uh, whichever school it is, we're told, "Right, okay, we're coming there, but my goodness me, don't, don't breathe a word." I'm sure there are lots of people behind the scenes managing this move back.

And it all comes back in the, once again, the, the, the Sussex soap opera.

That's what we've got back now, and, you know, you're alluding to the fact that one minute, you know, the royal family will be trying to go about their business, but any time that Harry goes out and about or Meghan is then in tow, that will dominate.

They will get what they want because they know there is a media feeding frenzy about them, which is going to be hard and frustrating for the rest of the royal family, I would have thought, and particularly for William, because they know that Harry's in town, and whether we like it or not, the slightly bad boy image that he's created is perhaps more interesting than the royal family just quietly going about their business.

So I think the royal family will be, at the moment, deeply frustrated, and particularly William, because they'll be thinking, "What's behind this? What is..." They need, that's the Sussexes, to be attached to something, and the royal family gives them the credibility.

And are you buying those, um, are you buying those theories that Harry and Meghan are worried about what Prince William would do as king, so they have to get back over there and remind the world of their proximity to the royal family?

Um, she seemed to be at ease, and just the way that these children were so affectionate towards her is such a positive reflection on your ambassador.

Yeah, and I think obviously going for her early years project, which she's so passionate about, and it was good to see her on the international road again.

And well, to me, um, obviously the essence of what she was about is to learn in this town in Northern Italy that seems to have some groundbreaking theories about early years education for children, the way to bring up children.

But I think the overriding impression for me, and I think took her by surprise, was the number of people who turned out to try and catch a glimpse of her.

It was obviously a big deal.

Look, it's her first international trip since the cancer, so there was a degree of interest, but even by her, you know, standards, I think she might have been pleasantly touched and surprised by the way the people of the region embraced her visit and, um, didn't put a foot wrong.

Okay, it was, you know, in, you know, one night in Italy, but obviously, um, but a lot going on, and it was great to see.

If, if they can actually execute this, Rupert, w- what a, what a legacy to leave Prince William.

W- how did the media respond in the UK to the King's visit to the States?

I, I know, obviously, you were up close and personal, you were in Washington, and you got a real sense.

And I think me looking from the outside is I think America was blindsided by it.

They weren't expecting what actually happened.

Um, and I think, you know, the reaction when we saw him giving the speech to Congress, uh, the reaction to the state dinner, and everything else, the reaction from the crowds wherever they went, I think it blindsided people because the R- royal family has been this unending soap opera of stories arou- and Andrew, stories around Harry and Meghan, and everything else, the cancer and everything else, that actually we had something that surprised us all because the landscape going into it was writ with danger and, you know, it could have actually been an absolute, um, well, um, in disaster if, if everything didn't play out right.

But I tell you what, the people who put this together, and everything that happened with the King obviously suddenly proving that he's comedy gold, uh, I mean, he, I mean, I, the, they were pretty good gags that he came up with.

The, the one about, "Well, if it wasn't for us, you'd all be talking French," was just, um, amazing.

Well, tell me, tell me how you interpreted this trip for Prince William going forward, because you'd said something interesting to me off-camera about h- how this has paved a way a bit for Prince William.

It shows me why King Charles is so courageous in his fight against cancer and how he con- why he continues to still show up.

Well, I, I think Prince Philip is just always was, um, a no-fuss kind of guy, and he didn't want people, you know, from day one, you know, it was n- "I, I don't want people fawning all over me." You know, he knew he was, you know, he, he had the common sense to realize, "Look, I'm in my 90s.

It's what happens.

We get ill." You know, that would've been his sort of per- perfectly dogmatic approach to it.

Yes, I, I lived to whatever age it was in the end, but he, he, he wouldn't want people, and that's why he stepped back just to let, enjoy or try and ease into, you know, what ultimately, sadly, was his death.

But you know, it was bound to happen, and he didn't want people at all stages.

He didn't want people.

Oh