Windsors & Losers: Recent Episodes
Eva & Allie
Britain's royal family generates controversial headlines each and every day, but in our unhumble opinion, the most interesting tales are those buried in the footnotes. Hosts Eva and Allie are excavators of bygone scandals and peculiar details about the Windsors. For example, did you know that King Charles runs a bed and breakfast in Romania? Or that he's been building his own real town for more than 30 years? Windsors & Losers is the podcast that tells you a curiously overlooked story about the British royal family in each episode.
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Windsors & Losers Book Club. In lieu of a traditional weekly episode, Eva and Allie are launching a periodic mini-series about — in their humble opinions — the best royal biographies and autobiographies of all time.
The first episode goes back to the book that started a cottage industry of "serve-and-tell" memoirs, in which former royal employees lift the lid on what life is really like with the Windsor family. The Little Princesses, by Elizabeth and Margaret's one-time governess Marion Crawford, is a saccharine look inside the girls' wartime childhoods. But what happened next is the real story; Marion turned into something of a cautionary tale.
Have you read this book? Let us know what you think!
It's holiday season, and that means vacation musings from Harry and Meghan — and us, as well. Hosts Allie and Eva reflect on their pilgrimages to various royal sites in England, and — more importantly — dissect what the Sussexes meant to convey with their carefully edited images from Portugal and England. In other news, James Middleton branches out in business and a storied royal home hits the market.
Come with us, won't you, as we imagine what exactly King Charles and Prince Harry discussed during their fateful fifty minute meeting at Clarence House last September. In Windsors & Losers's first (and possibly last) radio play, our intrepid (and unencumbered by a potential absence of acting talent) hosts take on the roles of father and son to imagine what happened on September 10, 2025. It's a timely reflection, we hope, being that Harry plans to visit London again this week with the intention of once again seeing his father after years of estrangement.
Far be it from us to turn down the opportunity to discuss a frivolous anecdote about a young Princess Diana. We are only human, after all! This week, our hosts reflect on a teenage Diana's romantic pranking, discuss Harry and Meghan's imminent return to the United Kingdom, and unpack the curious latest act from William in his quest to get promoted from "Prince of Pubs" to "King of Pubs."
When you're King, you don't have one birthday party; you have two. The Windsors marked King Charles's "official" birthday with a brooch-tastic parade and flyover, while elsewhere, Camilla's son Tom was busy extolling the virtues of uniquely British art of the putdown. And finally, we have another example to add to the list of Prince William's desire to be "The King of Change." So, do keep up: he's the Prince of Pubs and the King of Change.
We just can't help being excited that the royal family has welcomed another member to the "Breath of Fresh Air" club with the official arrival of Harriet Sperling as a member of the Firm. Harriet, who won a permanent place in our hearts by wearing a turtlenecked wedding dress, married Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips over the weekend, and we were just delighted. Good news is so hard to come by these days. In other developments, Prince William is gunning for a "Prince of Pubs" title and we bid adieu to Pamela Mountbatten, a 97-year-old distant royal relative who saw more than her fair share of excitement for one lifetime.
Ah, it's betrothing season in the extended royal universe and, frankly, we adore every second of it. In this week's episode, we break down the forthcoming second wedding of Princess Anne's son Peter to the too-good-to-be-true Harriet Sperling, who is both gorgeous and gainfully employed. Plus, we celebrate the fourth (!!) wedding of Princess Diana's brother Charles, this one to former Nordic Person of the Year Cat Jarmon. In other royal news, there are developments over at the Duchy of Cornwall, where Prince William is shaking up literal centuries of tradition by making big changes after three years as its manager.
It's been a while since James and Pippa Middleton have been at the forefront of our Windsor-loving minds, but this week, they're back! James had a canine-friendly run-in with Queen Camilla at Clarence House, while Pippa and her husband "James Matthews, 50, hedge fund manager" are generating headlines thanks to a local row we have dubbed "Gate-gate." All this in today's episode of Windsors & Losers, plus a deep dive into a new theory that King Charles and Prince Harry are more in cahoots that anyone realized.
Prince William hosted a garden party, revealed how he likes his tea, and went through a wide range of emotions at an Aston Villa game. Meanwhile, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie returned to the London scene at a friend's 40th. And we recap a new list of British businesses who received royal warrants, asking ourselves: why do we care about these darn warrants so much?
King Charles and Queen Camilla wrapped up a flawless tour to the United States, charming us with their references to the Magna Carta, enthusiasm for gardening with children, and bringing garden party culture to our shores. We recap tasty morsels from the trip, as well as remark upon Will and Kate's 15th wedding anniversary celebrations and a forthcoming new project involving Princess Diana.
This week, Eva and Allie discuss the latest twists and turns in Princess Diana's little brother Charles Spencer's love life. We couldn't help but wonder: could there be too much passion over there at Althorp House? Meanwhile, royal insider Anne Glenconner is blessing us with a new book filled with her unique royal insights. Her latest publication is about... picnics. You read that right. But trust us when we say that an essay on picnicking by Princess Margaret is one for the ages. And finally, where were you on April 29, 2011? It's hard to believe, but William and Kate are marking fifteen years married this week and, in honor of this great milestone, the Telegraph has a somewhat useful recap of the Waleses' last decade and a half.
If the King’s son and daughter-in-law take a gaffe-free visit to a former Commonwealth country, is it a royal tour? Harry and Meghan‘s Australian journey has us putting on our thinking caps, while we take a slightly less deep dive into the upcoming nuptial of Peter Philipps and Harriet Sperling and what it all means. Finally, we can’t contain our enthusiasm at another definite royal tour, that of King Charles and Queen Camilla to the United States. Join us, won’t you?
Not so long ago, in a time called the nineties, Camilla Parker Bowles was the most hated person in Britain. Today, she’s Queen, without so much as a “consort” to qualify her status. How did she go from the “other woman” in the Charles and Diana fairytale-turned-nightmare to, as Allie puts it, “a granny with a book club”? In this re-listen of a classic Windsors & Losers episode, Eva and Allie introduce listeners to the magician who turned Camilla royal. And we ask, if Camilla was able to convince Britain to accept her, then surely there's a path back for Harry and Meghan?
Despite our best efforts to ostrich in true royal style, we were unable to avoid last week's news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's ongoing scandal. We couldn't help but wonder: what if Charles actually doesn't have what it takes to hold the royal family together through this period of well-deserved scrutiny? We also consider the meaning of William and Kate having engagements on the same exact day (300 miles apart) and Princess Anne taking a turn as the royal brooch-wearer-in-chief.
Dear listeners, it finally happened. An intrepid Windsors & Losers host (Eva) was able to observe William and Kate as living and (presumably) breathing mortals. In today's episode, we recap this lofty BAFTAs sighting, recap all the Andrew news we'd previously missed, and muse momentarily on what's up with the Wessex-Edinburghs.
Full disclaimer: we recorded this episode earlier this week, and much (probably) has happened in the world of the Windsors. Regardless, we recap the timeless prose of Tom Parker Bowles and... beef bourguignon. Also, we reflect on a new biography about Prince William and Princess Catherine which asserts that Prince Harry's claim to have been shoved by William was wildly overblown. Plus: Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and his road to arrest.
Oh, the royals... so much internal strife, and so little action. This week, we check in on the latest maneuvers from Camp Fergie, and wonder how Zara and Mike Tindall have managed to stay so... unproblematic. Prince William suffers an unfortunate comparison, which — through a long, winding road of logic — causes us to wonder about the state of the institution as a whole.
We seek refuge from Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s long-awaited move and attempts to evade the law by discussing… royal chickens. Both King Charles and his grandson, Prince Archie, keep chickens accustomed to a certain regal lifestyle. But back to Andrew: his own brother, Prince Edward, finally broke the royal’s omertà on the Epstein scandal with a short response from a convention in Dubai (and was followed by a Monday statement from Charles, as well as one from Will and Kate). We discuss all this and only a tiny bit more in this week’s Windsors & Losers.
Why can't the royals just snack all day like normal people? In the latest royal crusade against eating, we learn about Princess Anne's preference for tea instead of luncheon. We also traipse through annals of royal real estate history in order to educate ourselves about the Sandringham home selected for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (and its fitting proximity to... ooze). As a palate cleanser, we celebrate the release of His Majesty's new Amazon documentary, Finding Harmony, and reflect on how Charles was able to have his very own door — and special chair! — at the Windsor Castle premiere.
Prince Harry takes the stand in his ongoing crusade against press intrusion, revealing that he's not a fan of wine — and, we can''t help but wonder, does that include As Ever rosé? On the other hand, Prince William declares a crusade to save pubs, and King Charles is revealed to be a late-night garden conversationalist. What a week!
What a week to sink one's teeth into royal news. We spend more time than is natural dissecting the reasoning behind Will and Kate hiring a "crisis PR manager" named Liza Ravenscroft, whose own Linkedin says... she's a specialist in crisis and reputation management. We also celebrate Kate's 44th by pondering what she ordered for lunch with her mother and sister. And finally, we celebrate one great royal relation — Tom Parker Bowles, of course — and his paean to Wetherspoon's hotels in the Daily Mail.
New year, same royals! This week, Eva and Allie are diving into what really matters: the royals' portfolio of rentable holiday homes, Queen Camilla's wide-ranging book club's big milestone, and the strange intersection of King Charles, Donald Trump, a ballroom, and porta-potties.
It's a great week in the land of Windsors & Losers amid news that King Charles is doing well in his fight against cancer. We recap what this means for Charles's reign, as well as Prince William's engagement that mixed business casual with pints and the latest from the legal drama between Charles Spencer's estranged wife and current girlfriend.
What do you get the eco-friendly King who has everything? Why, a portrait made of "trash!" We recap the latest homage to King Charles, this one made of found materials, as well as a brewing controversy between the monarch and an only-in-Britain television design personality. Finally, we recap a delightfully informal royal engagement from Zara Tindall and muse as to whether or not more royal goings-on may be in her future.
What do you get the man who has everything? The keys to a garden kingdom neglected by his own parents for decades! King Charles marked his 77th birthday by unveiling some very idiosyncratic new gardens at Sandringham, one of his many stately homes. In less joyous news, we learn about the mauling (but fortunate recovery!) of Queen Camilla's grand-dog. And we curiously welcome Autumn with some spoken word from Princess Kate.
Hot off the press: King Charles is eating lunch, and it's not what you think it is! A new royal book has a ton of never-before-shared tasty morsels, including speculation on the real reason Charles and Queen Camilla don't share a bedroom every night. All this, and the inside scoop on Kate and William's new home decor and how Camilla is honoring a late royal with her discerning choice in pinky rings.
A long-awaited reckoning comes for the former Prince Andrew, now simply Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. As the sun sets on Andrews time as a privileged son, we cast our spotlight to another royal offspring waiting in the wings… and yes, we are talking about Tom Parker Bowles. TPB raises the question himself of him becoming a prince, while unrest brews in King Charles’s model town, and Diana’s siblings offer a handful of unsolicited life updates.
A deep dive on where the royals went wrong handling Prince Andrew's ongoing misdeeds, a long-overdue introduction to the glorious word of conkers (a King Charles-endorsed 'sport'!), and new reminiscences from Anne Glenconner, former bestie of Princess Margaret. Join Eva and Allie for all this, and a ranking the week's Windsors and (of course) losers.
Another week, another report of feuding royals! And this time? It's Camilla and Kate. In happier news, a rowdy bovine party guest makes Charles's day. And in less happy news, William and Charles are clearly not singing from the same songbook despite their "Scotland Summit," which we always doubted anyway. All this and more in Windsors & Losers Weekly. (PS: It's a short one this week!)
The plot thickens between Charles, William, and Harry as the King and Prince of Wales meet for a "summit" in Scotland. How thick can this one plot get?! Meanwhile, Princess Anne reveals a new portrait with an iconic grimace and we find unexpected delight in Charles's latest eco-friendly scheme.
It was a week of state visiting in London — and some intrigue from Montecito. All we want to talk about is Queen Camilla’s appreciation for fine wine, her sold-out book festival (we so tried to get tickets), and her favorite bunion-busting footwear. We love a sensible Queen. Meanwhile, are Meghan and Harry sending their kids back to the UK for school? All this and more in Windsors & Losers Weekly.
Well — it happened. The long awaited Father Son Summit of 2025 took place last week, with Prince Harry visiting his father King Charles at Clarence House in London. What took place? We may never know. But we do know they had tea, the meeting lasted 55 minutes (lest anyone think Charles has a whole hour for his child), and that the whole thing is really bad for William. In other news, Kate and Anne were style twinsies and Paul Burrell released his long-awaited (by us) third book.
Windsors & Losers is back! Yes, we are both refreshed and rusty — but more than ready to regroup with the Windsors. This week, Eva & Allie recap a duchess's death at 92, the ongoing saga of Harry vs. Charles vs. William, and the joy that is Paul Burrell publishing a third book about his time with the royals (thirty years ago). Do join us, won't you?
We start this week with a reflection on the departure of Natasha Archer, Kate Middleton's longtime trusted stylist, assistant, and probable work bestie. Over at Highgrove, King Charles did the most King Charles thing — ever. And it was a good week for William, we reluctantly admit. He and his team responded to public outcry over a money issue and did something about it! Never say royal reporting doesn't matter.
Meghan Markle gets a hard time for selling, but most royals are doing it — including one of our favorites, TPB. In other news, we see — and we note — that the Windsors are roping in celebrities to help get their points across. This... is weird. Finally, Prince George is going to a high school with historical repercussions. It's been a week with the Windsors, so do join us for the breakdown.
The heir to the throne welcomed another year, and sources close to him want you to know his plans for when he takes over the top job. And btw: he's not mad about Harry anymore, really! In other news, Kate skips Ascot and leaves a tabloid void filled by... her husband's cousin's new girlfriend. And finally, Eva's dreams come true thanks to a new project of King Charles's that brings Highgrove into your home.
It's always a good week when King Charles reveals another of his favorite foods. And this time? It's a delicacy involving sheep's cheese. In other news, Kate and Charlotte dress alike, the "Hot Equerry" gets married, and we reflect on the fine art of channeling Princess Diana via fashion and photographs.
On February 18th, 2005, The Guardian published the decidedly glamorous headline “Charles and Camilla Forced to Wed in Local Register Office.” The tabloids, therefore, crowned future queen Camilla Parker Bowles the "Town Hall Bride.” So how did King Charles's second wife come to have her own second wedding in such an understated location when royal nuptials are usually held in more august venues? This week, we celebrate Charles and Camilla’s 20th wedding anniversary with a re-listen of our episode on Camilla’s low-key (second) wedding — a day which started with her struggling to get out of bed.
Just days after King Charles was named to a list of the richest people in Britain, headlines broke that he's splashing out on a new car that costs six figures. This prompted some armchair historians to think back to the spendy ways of his beloved grandmother, and that causes us to rejoice at the opportunity to revisit the Queen Mother's extravagant ways. Now that was living! This week, Eva & Allie have a laser focus on royal finances, royal finance reporting, and What It All Means. But also — there are new royal puppies!
We have mixed feelings about entering Beckxit into the offical Windsors & Losers record, but alas: here we are. This week, Eva & Allie take a deep dive into what, exactly, is going down between Harry and Meghan and Brooklyn and Nicola and David and Victoria and Charles and Camilla. Still with us?! Plus, Charles and William don long red capes, it turns out the King is really quite rich, and someone in the family wears something "cool." All this and more in today's Windsors & Losers Weekly!
If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times: all royal roads lead to Montecito. And this week proves the rule, as we dissect a front-page New York Times article that calls for King Charles to mend fences with Harry. We take a deep dive on Prince Archie's birthday Instagram and what it tells us about Sussex vacations — and we spend more time than necessary breaking down a highly unusual front-door camera photo of Prince Harry. A 'new' interview with Duchess Sophie — and an actually recent Q&A with James Middleton — also have links to Harry and Meghan. What is going on!?
Prince Harry may have chatted with the BBC this week while his wife Meghan made headlines for using her sort-of-rescinded "HRH" title, but we at Windsors & Losers HQ are focused on the real breaking news: King Charles issuing a royal warrant for his favorite bath oil. In this week's episode, Eva and Allie dive deep on KC's bath time rituals, Prince Edward's blink-and-you'll-miss-it trip to America, a royal cousin, and Fergie's seeming return to the royal fold.
Windsors & Losers is back from Spring Break in time for the latest from royal reporting G.O.A.T. Tina Brown. In her interview with The Daily Telegraph, Tina laments the absence of Harry's sizzle from the family — and complains about things being too competently run over at Windsor HQ. But where Tina steps back, we step forward! This episode brings you trenchant analysis on Charles and Camilla’s 20th wedding anniversary, the late Queen’s lunch habits, and Will and Kate’s anniversary plans at a Scottish 'Heir-B-N-B.' Consider us your auditory flower sprinkles: lacking in any real nourishment but nonetheless colorful.
It’s royal-adjacency week over here at Windsors & Losers, with a specific focus on Pippa, Mike, Tom... and Bouijis. That's right — we're feeling nostalgic about the quasi-return of the notorious London watering hole (and particular favorite of young Harry, William and Kate), but we’re also reflecting on how polarizing opinions of Meghan might actually be good for her business.
Meghan goes head-to-head with Harry's cousins, Amelia and Eliza Spencer, in a war of the rosés. Cressida Bonas, launches a podcast — in which she’s annoyingly unlikely to say anything at all about her ex, Prince Harry. Prince William plans a trip abroad to see a soccer match, of course. King Charles, meanwhile, was in the hospital, but is keeping his plans for a state trip to Italy in place. And finally, the Sussexes and the Waleses celebrate UK Mother's Day on Instagram with a photo of a lemon tart and a video featuring William’s calves. You guess which is which.
The royals are back at it. Prince William takes some tank travel and enters a new touchy-feely era with Princess Kate. King Charles opens Highgrove for a woo woo new cause. He also giveth — and taketh — some royal warrants from storied champagne houses. And finally, Queen Camilla is making breaking brooch news! Allie and Eva are on the royal brooch beat.
Windsors & Losers WEEKLY! is joined by Victoria Murphy, author, contributing editor at Town & Country, frequent ABC royal commentator, and the only person in the room who actually knows what Meghan’s last name is. Eva and Allie talk with Victoria about the latest weird and wonderful royal headlines, including King Charles’s new house (next to Camilla's old house), William’s enduring passion (for footie), and Victoria's reaction to Meghan's Netflix cooking show.
On the next episode of "Windsors & Losers WEEKLY," we’re joined by Town & Country contributing editor Victoria Murphy. Tune in for her expert take on Meghan’s new show, King Charles’s new houses, and William’s old passion: football (the English kind!).
We attempt to understand the Harry and Meghan last name situation with help from Lord Ivar Mountbatten, another royal cousin who’s launched a global television career. Meanwhile, King Charles collaborates with a different streamer, Kate joins a WhatsApp group, and Princess Anne’s daughter Zara sells shoes.
Half-term is over, and the royals are back to business. Queen Camilla’s brooch stole the show at a recent event. King Charles made a scene of his own by simply signing a letter, while in the background, he's overhauling the royal train according to his eco-friendly specifications. Prince Edward made people laugh. And their cousin, David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, has a new girlfriend with almost as many words in her name.
The royals adopt social media—and show us their Valentine's Day "feelings." King Charles tries his hand at American football while hanging up his skis forever. Princess Anne gets an astounding new title, and her son-in-law Mike Tindall admits to loving a good old-fashioned prank. Tom Parker Bowles dishes on family vacations of yesterday with his mom, Queen Camilla, who's making headlines elsewhere for her endorsement of a celebrity-favorite (and bunion-busting) shoe.All this—and more—in this week's Windsors & Losers Weekly!
King Charles hosted an Italian-themed dinner in the Cotswolds featuring English ingredients — and the Beckhams. Dame Anna Wintour took off her sunglasses to get a new medal from the King. We learned Princess Anne’s special nickname for her brother, and another royal sibling (Pippa!) debuted her side-hustle. Meanwhile, a new book makes a claim that Meghan and William once... had fun together.
Princess Catherine decrees that interest in her clothing should henceforth be minimized. Meanwhile, her fashionable mum marks a milestone birthday. King Charles is running an actual contest and has been gearing up to appear on a big streaming platform project — just like some other royals we know! And speaking of Harry and Meghan, they're planning for a significant appearance north of the border. All this and more in today's Windsors & Losers Weekly!
Ah... another week, another round of scintillating royal headlines. This week, Kate gets papped — what does it mean? A royal chef spills the beans on King Charles's food preferences as a father, Prince Harry settles a major lawsuit coincidentally during a bad press cycle, and Prince William does — what else? — a spot of football watching. Plus, a grocer vies for a royal warrant and Princess Anne reflects on her recent accident. All this and more in Windsors & Losers Weekly.
Prince William reveals himself to be an anonymous contributor to online soccer forums! King Charles writes a letter for a time capsule, which lucky people will be able to read... in 100 years. Princess Kate (possibly) continues to check out more schools for Prince George. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has a special milestone birthday celebrated in true royal style with a glowing profile in a London broadsheet. And Meghan and Harry get the cover story they never asked for.
The final act of Paul Burrell's 2002 trial for the theft of Princess Diana's belongings comes to a highly dramatic conclusion. We rejoin Paul at London's Old Bailey court to find out who from the Windsor clan came to his rescue. Join us as we wrap up the improbable tale of the man who went from a childhood in a small English mining town to the soaring heights of Kensington Palace at the side of Princess Diana — and then down again to the criminal courts of London. But that wasn’t the end for Paul…
King Charles's former Welsh bolthole gains artistic new tenants, and they're opening the mansion to the public — for a price. Prince Edward gets tapped to attend Jimmy Carter's funeral, which may or may not be payback after the former President pissed off the Queen Mother a couple decades back. William and Kate show unexpected (and unprecedented, for them?) emotion on social media, and we welcome a new round of controversy over royal documents.
When the police showed up at Paul Burrell’s door on the morning of January 18th, 2001, they were looking for information on a valuable object stolen from Princess Diana’s estate and sold at auction in London. Police had reason to believe Paul knew something about this — but what they were not expecting was an attic crammed “wall to wall” with Diana’s belongings. The police found private family photos, letters, art, china, and even a signed photograph of Baywatch star David Hasselhoff. Paul claimed they were gifts from Diana. The Spencer family begged to differ, and Prince Charles just wanted the whole matter to go away.
King Charles is getting a commemorative bust described by the artist as “thoughtful.” Princess Michael of Kent didn’t let two broken wrists stop her from attending royal holiday festivities. The Royal Family faces more scrutiny over their finances, and — oh yeah! — Meghan’s trailer is out. We have opinions on it all.
Every time we come to Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed 1997 trip to Paris in 1997, we hope the ending changes. But… it does not. For Diana’s uber-butler Paul Burrell, the loss of Diana was catastrophic on a personal and professional level. In this third episode of Windsors and Losers’s season on Paul Burrell, we pick back up with Paul in the aftermath of Diana’s death as he handles the grim logistics of her burial. As time goes on, Paul is forced to confront the fact he is not the sole keeper of her legacy — and his behavior raises eyebrows (and suspicions) within the Spencer family. A recipe for disaster…
We arrive in 1987, the year butler Paul Burrell left Queen Elizabeth II’s service to work for Charles and Diana at their country home Highgrove. But before setting off, Paul receives a mysterious warning from the Queen’s lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey, who told him “all is not as it seems” with the Prince and Princess of Wales. What on earth did that mean? Paul soon learned all was not well with the Waleses, especially when a certain name started popping up on the Highgrove guest list with regularity. As Camilla Parker Bowles comes onto the scene, Paul moves with Diana, William, and Harry back to London… to assume his role at the center of her new, independent world.
Princess Diana’s longtime butler Paul Burrell was there for the big royal moments of the ‘80s and ‘90s, from Diana and Charles’s wedding to the births of William and Harry, the breakdown of the Wales marriage, and Diana’s transformation into a global celebrity. He became known as “Diana's rock" (a moniker he may, actually, have given himself) and claimed to know many of her darkest secrets. He was also, tragically, the man who selected her outfit and accompanied her back from Paris on her final journey home. But the story of Paul Burrell took on a life of its own after his boss’s death. He was arrested for stealing hundreds of Diana's private belongings. And although he was later exonerated by Queen Elizabeth II herself, his legacy is far from the platonic ideal of a butler who sees all — and never tells. In episode one of our series on Paul Burrell, we explore his rags-to-riches tale, starting with his early years as servant-in-training and time as QEII’s personal butler.
Windsors & Losers Weekly is up-to-date on the latest antics from the house of Windsor, starting with a staff party at Buckingham Palace which saw one housemaid end the night in a holding cell. Plus, the latest from Prince Andrew and Fergie's long string of questionable decisions, Princess's Anne's connection to the Milan runways, and Princess Diana's baby brother reflects happily and unhappily on their childhood holidays. Merry-ish Christmas to all!
We’re back from our one-week mini-break with your regular punishment of Windsors & Losers WEEKLY, the show that brings you all the latest news from BuckyPa (aka Buckingham Palace). This week, our fearless hosts confront Kate & William's forays at Westminster Abbey and Notre Dame. Meanwhile the Parker Bowles clan (specifically Tom, Camilla, and Andrew) go hard on resting, evenings-only drinking, and launching a new podcast.
Oh, what a week it was! In this edition of Windsors & Losers: Weekly! we delve into the history of royal break-ins after a robbery near William and Kate's Adelaide Cottage. Plus, King Charles and Queen Camilla mourn their Jack Russell, and royal nephew Peter Phillips (son of Anne) has a new romance with someone unusually sensible.
King Charles celebrates his birthday the only way he knows how. Another young royal also has a birthday — and a new boyfriend with the right number of surplus last names. Meanwhile, Prince William debuts a new sustainable wardrobe and Prince Andrew's “Game of Homes” saga takes a new, thrilling turn.
There's never a dull moment across the pond with the Windsors. You'd almost think it's by design! This week, excerpts from a newly-extended royal biography are generating headlines about Princess Kate, "evolving global stateman" Prince William, and the latest in the saga of Prince Andrew's would-be eviction. Plus, Camilla and Charles make a pit stop at their favorite holistic health retreat! All this — and more — in today's Windsors & Losers Weekly.
Prince William mentions his brother, Prince Harry, by name for the first time since 2018. Meanwhile, he and Kate Middleton plan a revamp of the stodgy usual royal Christmas. King Charles plans his 2025 travel, and our favorite of the royal-adjacent bunch, Tom Parker Bowles, tells all about his mother Queen Camilla's spare and dusty old spice cabinet. All this and more in today's Windsors & Losers WEEKLY!
It's Windsors & Losers WEEKLY!, the weekly look at new news from Windsors & Losers, the podcast that usually tells you old news about the British royal family in every episode. This week, we recap the goings on of a bakers dozen of miscellaneous royals who happened to do vaguely interesting things, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new Portuguese bolthole, William's dazzlingly white shoes, and King Charles's voyage Down Under.
In today's Windsors & Losers Weekly, the once-a-week look at new royal news with a dash of history, our hosts travel along as Edward and Sophie head to Malta, home of Queen Elizabeth II's most treasured royal memories from back before she was saddled with four kids and a country. Plus, another royal Edward marks a big milestone, Prince William gets a catchy nickname from his cousin Zara's husband, and we finally find out what, exactly, was in the Queen Mother's handbag.
WINDSORS & LOSERS WEEKLY: King Charles eats lunch for the first time in 30 years — and you'll never guess what he eats! (Or maybe you will.) Spend a Saturday with James Middleton and Tom Parker Bowles. (And why we think Tom should be King.) What does Prince Harry's solo tour really mean for the future of his life with Meghan Markle? Your fearless hosts Eva and Allie are back, in a new format, ready to tackle the week's most non-pressing royal news.
As far as rock bottoms go, Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson has hit a few. In this final episode of the Fergie season, hosts Allie and Eva revisit the aftermath of two of Fergie's biggest scandals and her subsequent efforts at redemption (or, should we say re-branding) with the assistance of none other than Oprah and Dr. Phil. Fergie's road from "second-tier Sloane" to Duchess, to exiled royal and back again, has been a winding one. And yet, with steady and cheerful determination, she's reemerged once more as a palace player at the highest levels. Our story ends with Fergie's soft relaunch as a royal, and an examination of the ways in which the Fergie of today can be called a survivor — even as her legacy remains tainted.
Can one ever truly be friends with a reigning monarch? According to Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, she and the late Queen were the best of pals.
At the end of her reign, Elizabeth granted Fergie a royal funeral at St. George's Chapel, Windsor and a place in the family plot. The Queen also invited Fergie to what would be her final family Christmas. Was this evidence of a deep and enduring friendship?
Perhaps. After all, Fergie and QE2 had so much in common: horses, dogs, and also, horses. It was Fergie who inherited the Queen's beloved corgis, Sandy and Muick. And, surely, that tells us something about their relationship? In this penultimate episode of the "Finding Fergie" season, hosts Allie and Eva go looking for what that "something" is.
Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson divorced "her prince" in 1996, a decade after she (metaphorically) stumbled down the aisle at Westminster Abbey and (metaphorically) fell into Andrew's (literal) giant pile of teddy bears. Her life as an official working royal was marred by money troubles, tabloid scandals, and oh-so-brief moments of rebirth. The same can be said for her life as a single working mom.In episode five of "Finding Fergie," hosts Allie and Eva pick up where they left off: on Fergie's journey for self-discovery, redemption, and... cash. Adrift from the royals after a duo of photo scandals involving Texan men, Fergie set off to find herself in America. There she found a more forgiving public — and Oprah. But just as Fergie seemed to be rising from the ashes as a self-actualized working gal with brand partnerships, another scandal was lurking just 'round the corner.
Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson and Princess Diana were cousins, sisters-in-law, and co-conspirators against the royal family. Their relationship, and their centrality in the royal family during the late twentieth-century, was the stuff of legends — and tabloid headlines. Friends since adolescence, they fell out sometime in the mid '90s... and never spoke again.In the latest episode of Windsors & Losers's Fergie season — dubbed "Finding Fergie" — our hosts Eva and Allie look back at Fergie’s unique and tumultuous friendship with Princess Diana.
After there was young Fergie, there was... teen Fergie and young adult Fergie. And then, finally, Sarah Ferguson metamorphosed into her fully-realized self: royal Fergie. In this episode of the "Finding Fergie" season, Allie and Eva revisit the Duchess of York's late teens and early twenties. These were crucial, vital years in Fergie's life, where she lived with a girlfriend South of the river in London, went traveling without a credit card, borrowed her stepmother's clothes, and dated an older man with a massive Swiss chalet and a wine collection bought at Sotheby's.
But Fergie's life path took a hard left when her friend (and cousin) Princess Diana reintroduced her to the the Queen's second son. From there, Fergie's path to duchess-hood was set.
Windsors & Losers is back! This season is about Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, who is perhaps the most maligned modern royal. But in 1986 when Fergie married into the Windsor clan, she was hailed as the future of the monarchy: a confident, smiling, and up-for-anything country lass. She was just the sort to endear herself to the Queen — and the tabloids! But of course, the party didn't last long...
In episode one of this season — which we are calling "Finding Fergie" — Eva and Allie go back to Fergie's formative years and dive into her seemingly cookie-cutter country upbringing (complete with ponies), her cad-ish and clueless polo playing dad, and her beautiful mother, who bolted from their home, and England, to marry an Argentine hunk.
Editors' note: This episode was recorded before recent breaking royal news, including King Charles's cancer diagnosis.
When Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson joined the British royal family in 1986 she was hailed as the future of the monarchy and "a breath of fresh air." A decade later she was divorced, broke, and exiled to the land of misfit (and embarrassing) royals, leaving a trail of scandal in her wake. Poking fun at her clothes and weight became a national bloodsport. Prince Philip apparently couldn't even stand to be in the same room as her. And let’s be honest: it’s never been easy to be a Windsor Wife, as Diana and Meghan both have shown.But now, Fergie is somewhat back in the royal fold. She did, after all, inherit the late queen's corgis. Is Sarah, the Duchess of York, proof that by sticking around long enough, the disruptor becomes the establishment? In a new season of Windsors & Losers, coming early 2024, we're reassessing the life and times of the one-named royal wonder, Fergie.
Mark Bolland pulled off many coups during his seven-year tenure as Charles and Camilla's palace spin doctor... but he wasn't there to make friends. “There was an awful man there," one senior figure said 20 years later. "Absolutely destructive beyond belief." So who is this Rasputin-like magician who turned Camilla from most reviled woman in Britain into future queen? In the final episode of "The Camilla Season," Eva and Allie follow the mighty rise and unceremonious end of Camilla's most ruthless and dogged courtier.
Can queens be friends with their exes? Camilla is the first divorced queen in British history with a living husband. And — oh, is he ever living! The charming and roguish Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles is still a key member of Camilla’s inner circle, beloved by all, including Camilla, despite his cad antics. He regularly attends ceremonial occasions as Camilla’s guest and has on at least one occasion acted as her official representative. In fact, it could be argued (by us) that Andrew and Camilla, not Gwyneth and Chris, are the true originators of “conscious uncoupling.” In the penultimate episode of The Camilla Season, Eva and Allie take a look back at the surprisingly civil divorce of Camilla and Andrew in 1995. But... maybe that's what happens when your marriage is one of "electric indifference", as Tina Brown once put it.
As any royal biography will tell you, people really like Queen Camilla — they really, really like her. This week, hosts Eva and Allie are deep-diving into the former Camilla Parker-Bowles’s wide world of friendships. Camilla’s inner circle is a big one, from throwback childhood horse and pony pals to the six grown-up female friends she’s hooked up with (unpaid) jobs at the Palace. We meet this motley crew of royal BFFs, including the one who’s Charles’s cousin and the one whose husband proposes to strangers. And we can't forget to mention Camilla's long history of befriending reporters. Camilla just has a way of making royal journos feel less “reptilian,” and in return, they cover her glowingly.
Central to Queen Camilla’s public image is the idea that she’s an unfussy, no-nonsense, ruddy British everywoman. But those with a nose for useless royal miscellany (ahem, your dedicated hosts) have picked up on Camilla’s frequent under-the-radar visits to an idyllic holistic health spa in southern India run by the charismatic healer to the (British) stars, Dr. Issac Mathai. The Soukya International Holistic Health Centre is frequented by the likes of Emma Thompson, Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, and yes, Queen Camilla, who we can't say for certain DOESN'T get the "reverse childbirth" colonic irrigation. When she’s not in India, Dr. Mathai is flying to the UK to treat Camilla and Charles at home (something Mathai claims to do frequently). So who is this shadowy healer? Well, for one thing, he’s not shadowy at all. He’s surprisingly loose-lipped about his royal connections, for which we are eternally thankful.
In episode six of "The Camilla Season," Eva and Allie bravely go where no one ever wanted to go again... back to 1993, year of "Tampongate." This was the iconic conversation in which, as you will reluctantly recall, Charles talked about becoming Camilla's tampon. It wasn’t the future king's finest hour, nor was it the finest hour of the “amateur radio enthusiast” who taped someone else’s private phone call and sold it to the tabloids. But there’s more to Tampongate than just that tampon moment. The conversation reveals much about Charles and Camilla’s private world, the people willing to keep their affair secret, and even — dare we say — a modicum of tenderness. Here Eva and Allie reenact and annotate Tampongate. Please forgive them.
An unnamed relative of Queen Camilla’s once described her as “the laziest woman to have been born in England in the 20th century.” This was an assessment often (and rudely!) repeated by staffers, former staffers, biographers, and tabloid journalists to describe Camilla’s pre-royal work ethic. As far as Eva and Allie can tell, Camilla’s only paid gig was as gofer for a prestigious interior design firm in the 1960s… from which she was unceremoniously fired. But is it fair to call a woman who raised two children, ran a large household, had numerous hobbies, and who would go on to become Queen of England lazy? In this episode of Windsors & Losers, Eva and Allie run through Camilla’s professional CV and break down what "work" means for a woman of her class and position.
In Roman times, Diana was known as the goddess of the hunt — but nowadays, Queen Camilla is the British aristocrat most associated with the countryside past-time. In episode four of Windsors & Losers's "The Camilla Season," hosts Eva and Allie revisit Camilla's long association with the world of ponies and, eventually, hunting. It's a passion she shared with husband King Charles III — that is, until it was ruled illegal and the royals had to stop terrorizing foxes on horseback. We take a look back at Camilla's inherited love of all things horse, and — for better or worse — try to unpack the psychological connection between hunting and... yes... sex.
Keen (but formally untrained) royal anthropologists Eva and Allie have noticed that Queen Camilla seems to spend an awful lot of time at a mystery house called “Ray Mill” in Wiltshire, England. It turns out that Ray Mill is Camilla’s private home, one she’s hung onto from her pre-royal days. It’s where she flees on weekends, holidays, and pretty much anytime she fancies a big ol’ G&T in front of Coronation Street, her favorite soap, and a show which Charles reportedly loathes. In episode 4 of Windsors & Losers's “The Camilla Season,” Eva and Allie attempt to untangle Charles and Camilla’s $25 billion dollar property empire and answer the simple question: “Why does the very married Queen hold onto her own house?”
Camilla Parker Bowles, soon-to-be Queen, is many things. And one of those things is: a mom. This week's episode of Windsors & Losers — part of our "Camilla Season" — is all about Camilla's two "royally adjacent" children, Tom and Laura. Learn about how the now King Charles was a regular visitor at their childhood home, why Tom calls himself “a camp old raver,” how Laura married an underwear model, and why both Eva and Allie are always and forever #TeamTom.
On February 18th of 2005, The Guardian published the decidedly unglamorous headline “Charles and Camilla Forced to Wed in Local Register Office.” The tabloids, meanwhile, crowned future queen Camilla Parker Bowles the "Town Hall Bride.” So how did King Charles's second wife come to have her own second wedding in such an understated location when royal nuptials are usually held in more august venues? In episode one of Windsors & Losers's “The Camilla Season,” hosts Eva and Allie revisit Camilla’s low-key (second) wedding day — and how she could barely get out of bed that morning.
Windsors & Losers, the podcast that tells you a lesser-known story about the British royal family in every episode, will be back with a new season just in time for the coronation on May 6! And this time it’s all about the new queen, Camilla. Let’s really get to know the woman formerly known as “Mrs. PB” (for Parker Bowles) by palace staff, and “the other woman” by Fleet Street — independent of the Charles and Diana love triangle. What makes this new queen tick? Who are her kids, Tom and Laura? Why did she and Charles get married at town hall? Why doesn’t the palace want us to know about her regular trips to a homeopathic wellness spa in India? And lastly, do we regret exploring the connection between fox hunting and Charles and Camilla's physical relationship? Yes, yes we do. Be sure to subscribe!
The year was 1960, and Princess Margaret, along with her new husband Anthony Armstrong-Jones, made a fateful trip ashore to the tiny Caribbean island of Mustique during their six week (checks notes — yes, six week) honeymoon aboard the royal yacht. Margaret's party pal from back in London, Colin Tennant (later, Glenconner), had just purchased the island and he cannily offered the princess a plot of land as a wedding gift. It would be another few years before "Margo" cashed in the I.O.U, but when she did, she also asked for a house — naturally. Thus began Margaret's long love affair with the hedonistic party paradise that Colin developed on Mustique. It's where Margaret escaped the glare of public life in London, enjoyed getaways with her boyfriend, and later suffered a series of serious health episodes. In this final episode Windsors & Losers season one, Eva and Allie mentally head to Mustique to revisit what Margaret and the rest of the 1970s glitterati got up to down there. Hint: it once involved spray-painting palm trees gold, outfitting waiters in just gold coconut shells, and polluting the sand with gold glitter.
Prince Philip was born, er, a prince — and then, of course, went on to marry a queen — but he had a challenging childhood. A central figure in his adolescence was his mother's brother, an aristocrat named George Mountbatten, who provided Philip with a stable family life (for a time). But George sadly died young, when Philip was only 17, and as a result the uncle's story is a mere footnote in royal biographies. But even those tiny mentions usually include a unique detail about Unky G. He was a collector. He collected model trains. And — oh yeah! — he spent millions in today’s money amassing one of the world’s largest collections of erotic imagery. And this is where we pick up today, retracing Philip's footsteps to his uncle's family home, and establishing why one of the 20th century's biggest British political scandals forced the Mountbattens to divest themselves of the 'curious collection.'
Join us for an extremely niche Windsors & Losers analysis of "Spare," Prince Harry's monumental biography released last month. Many readers and reporters quite naturally focused on the biggest and most sensational sections, whether it was physical aggression from "Willy" — also known as Prince William — or the claim that Queen Consort Camilla (FKA Camilla Parker Bowles) planted stories about Harry in order to curry favor with the public for herself. And, sure, we were interested in those details. But what we really enjoyed were those between-the-lines nuggets that, we think, revealed a bit more about royal operations than Harry may have intended. Without further ado, let's dive in, like King Charles into his nightly bubble bath (a tradition we now know about, thanks to Spare).
Harry and Meghan who? Long before Netflix came a callin' — there was one royal who wanted to make it in Hollywood, and his name is Edward. Who the heck is Prince Edward, you so rightly ask? He's the Queen's fifty-eight-year-old son (the third male child — the spare's spare, so to speak). He spent most of the nineties and noughties running a production company that made... nothing most of us have heard of.... until today! Join us for a deep dive on Edward's producorial misadventures, and why he created one show so bad the royals turned their backs on television for good.
Before there was Camilla and Charles, there was Camilla and Andrew. She was Camilla Shand, country girl and horse fan, who was a social star in the classroom, finishing school, and the debutante balls of London. He was Andrew Parker Bowles, a young cavalry officer and the most lusted-after gentleman of her deb season. In episode three of Windsors & Losers, hosts Allie & Eva revisit Camilla and Andrew's unconventional and somewhat racy first marriage — and how she ultimately found her way back into the arms of the future King Charles.
Windsors & Losers is created and produced by Eva Wolchover and Allie Merriam. Our episode was mixed by Kristin Mueller.
Give us your feedback at WindsorsLosers.com. Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!
Windsors & Losers is created and produced by Eva Wolchover and Allie Merriam. Our episode was mixed by Kristin Mueller. Special thanks to Jesse Baker, Eric Nuzum, Ian Chillag, Sabrina Farhi, Lee Lawrence, Tom Merriam, and Debbie Merriam.
Give us your feedback at WindsorsLosers.com. And please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Who among us can... build their own town? King Charles created an opportunity to flex his untrained architect muscles and create a village, Poundbury, from the ground up. It's taken him more than 30 years, but the results are actually pretty good. Hosts Eva Wolchover and Allie Merriam tee up episode one — out in January! — and introduce themselves and their uniquely American POV on royal commentary.
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