The Royal Beat Podcast

Royal Beat is on a short break - so whilst we're away please enjoy this True Royalty Original. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward said Princess Diana was "the most insecure woman" she'd ever met. This True Royalty Original examines the psychological struggles behind Diana's public facade, exploring her battles with self-doubt, eating disorders, and constant need for approval.Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen hosts the show and is joined by royal biographer and editor in chief of Majesty Magazine Ingrid Seward and former press secretary to the late Princess of Wales, Dickie Arbiter to uncover how childhood trauma and royal pressures created a woman whose vulnerability was both her weakness and her strength.Subscribe now – so you never miss and episode ofTrue Royalty Originals Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Royal Beat on a short holiday - please enjoy this True Royalty Original Podcast. Who is the Real Meghan? From Hollywood starlet to royal duchess and now global businesswoman, Meghan Markle remains one of the most divisive figures in the British Royal Family.But who is the real Meghan? In this explosive True Royalty Original, host Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen digs beneath the glossy headlines and relentless tabloid coverage to uncover the truth behind the Duchess of Sussex’s carefully crafted image.With fresh revelations about her struggles as a working royal and accusations of feeling “inauthentic,” the episode peels back the layers of fame, family tension, and royal scandal. Joined by leading voices including journalist Afua Hagan and The Sun’s royal editor Matt Wilkinson, this must-listen royal podcast delivers insider gossip, expert commentary, and a revealing look at the woman who continues to shake the monarchy.Subscribe now - to never miss and episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Royal Beat – Book Club, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is joined by royal commentator Afua Hagan, cultural historian Dr Benjamin Wild, and author Jane Eastoe (The Times: British Royal Fashion) for an in-depth discussion on royal fashion and style. Together, they explore how the fashion of the British Royal Family has evolved over the decades, from the Queen’s timeless wardrobe choices to Princess Diana’s iconic looks, Kate Middleton’s modern elegance, and Meghan Markle’s contemporary style.The panel unpacks how royal clothing choices send powerful messages about tradition, duty, and modernity, as well as how royal style continues to influence global fashion trends. With expert insights into key royal outfits, designers, and the symbolism behind them, this episode offers a fascinating look at the intersection of royalty, culture, and fashion history.Watch this episode on True Royalty TVFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The Royal Beat Collection, we explore Meghan Markle’s new life and career five years after stepping back from the Royal Family. From Meghan’s podcast and television projects to her lifestyle brand ventures - including jam, flower sprinkles, and more. Our royal experts analyse how the Duchess of Sussex is building her business empire. Has Meghan and Prince Harry’s move away from royal duties paid off? Find out as we discuss Meghan Markle’s entrepreneurial journey, her media projects, and whether her post-royal ventures have been a success.Watch this episode on True Royalty TVFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Royal Beat - Book Club, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is joined by former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II Ailsa Anderson, the Mail on Sunday's Editor in Chief Charlotte Griffiths, and Craig Brown, the author of A Voyage Around The Queen, to turn the pages and uncover a different perspective of the late Queen.The Royal Beat presents the most seminal books on royalty! Led by host Kate Thornton, royal experts and authors themselves bring the pages to life discussing the very best titles on all things monarchy. From princes to palaces, affairs to abdications, look no further for your next royal readFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With President Macron's State Visit to the UK just days away, on this episode of The Royal Beat - Collection, find out how King Charles has navigated politics and diplomacy on previous international visits. From banquets to gifts, highs to lows, diplomatic miracles to diplomatic disasters - the show also uncovers the ways the UK and other nations celebrate their ties and shared interests.Follow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Royal Beat - Back In Time, delve into the lives of two cousins who both became King - Richard II and Henry IV. Find out what drove King Richard's increasingly erratic behaviour and uncover how his upbringing left him woefully ill-prepared to rule, compared to his cousin Henry who had everything he needed to be a great King - except a claim to the throne. Sarah Hewson presents the show and is joined by historians Dr Elizabeth Norton, Matt Lewis and Helen Castor whose book 'The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV' explores the lives of these very different but equally interesting Kings.Follow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we go outdoors to discuss royal gardens. From the educational and scientific realms of Kew, to The Castle of Mey’s more personal and intimate feel, we look at what makes these gardens so beautiful and discuss their importance when it comes to conservation. This show covers everything from the effects climate change is having on our royal green spaces to King Charles’s involvement at Highgrove. Host Kate Thornton is joined by author of ‘Royal Gardens of the World’ Mark Lane, Head Gardener at Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace Graham Dillamore, and Senior Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, Joanna Marschner to discuss all aspects of royal gardens.In mainland Europe you can journey from the formal splendour of Het Loo in the Netherlands and Fontainebleau in France to the Baroque World Heritage Site of the Royal Palace of Caserta in Southern Italy. Further afield still lies the Taj Mahal in India and the Peterhof Palace in Russia.Each featured garden will include the history, plantings and evolution of the garden as well as plant portraits of key plants and information about the design and layout of each. Countries included are: England, Scotland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, India, Bali and Japan.This inspiring global selection of royal gardens is a perfect gift for any gardening enthusiast or armchair traveller and takes the reader on a journey of architecturally significant houses and their classic gardens as well as providing planting ideas that range from modest to grand, simple to ornate.Follow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Royal Beat - Back In Time our fabulous new presenter Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is joined by historians Professor Kate Williams, Gareth Russell and Lady Anne Somerset whose book ‘Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers’ casts a fresh light on Victoria's relationships with the 10 men who led the Government during her reign. We reflect on Queen Victoria’s ever-changing political journey from her close and personal relationship with her first Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne to her tense and difficult interactions with William Gladstone. Our experts discuss how these personal dynamics may have influenced the political decisions of the time and, in turn shaped the future of the nation.Watch the Royal Beat on True Royalty TVhttps://trueroyalty.tv/homePlease do subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people hear the podcastFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Royal Beat - Book Club is back with a new presenter! In this episode Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is joined by two royal biographers - Ingrid Seward and Hugo Vickers - and historian Tessa Dunlop whose book ‘Elizabeth and Philip: The Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy’ explores how their relationship shaped the course of British History.She was ''sugar pink'' innocence; he was a handsome war hero. Both had royal blood coursing through their veins. The marriage of Britain''s Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in November 1947 is remembered as the beginning of an extraordinary, lifelong union but success was not guaranteed. Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy plunges us back into the 1940s when a teenage princess fell in love with a foreign prince. Cue fears of a flirtatious ''Greek'' fortune hunter stealing off with Britain''s crown jewel and Philip''s supporters scrambling to reframe him as a good fit for the Royal Family.Drawing on original newspaper archives and the opinions of Elizabeth and Philip''s contemporaries, historian Dr Tessa Dunlop discovers a post-war world on the cusp of major change. Unprecedented polling on Philip''s suitability was a harbinger of pressures to come for a couple whose marriage was branded the ultimate global fairytale. Theirs was a partnership like no other. Six years after Elizabeth promised to be an obedient wife Philip got down on bended knee at the coronation and committed himself as the Queen''s ''liege man of life and limb.''Published 75 years after their marriage, this deeply touching history explores the ups and downs, the public appeal and the private tensions that defined an extraordinary union. Watch the Royal Beat on True Royalty TV https://trueroyalty.tv/homePlease do subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people hear the podcastFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTRrelationship. The high stakes involved might have devoured a less committed pair - but Elizabeth and Philip shared a common purpose, one higher even than marriage, with roots much deeper than young love. Happy and Glorious, for better or for worse, how did their union succeed? Monarchy was the magic word. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode of The Royal Beat: Back In Time, we discuss royal figures around the world from their childhood up until their 18th birthday. From young Empress Matilda who shaped the fate of the nations, to Elizabeth I who exceeded all expectations, we explore the lives of some pretty notable teenagers. Presenter Kate Thornton is joined by historians Dr Elizabeth Norton, Professor Kate Williams, and Alice Loxton - whose new book ‘Eighteen: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives’ brings to life some of the incredible stories this episode covers.Watch the Royal Beat on True Royalty TV https://trueroyalty.tv/homePlease do subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people hear the podcastFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the Royal Beat - Book Club this week, the panel discuss the impact of Prince Harry's best selling memoir Spare. With the paperback version having just been released, Kate Thornton is joined by Royal commentator Afua Hagan, NBC’s Royal Commentator Daisy McAndrew, and Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent Jack Royston, to recount the details, drama and royal revelations in this blockbuster of a book. And reflect on how things have changed for Harry and the royals 18 months after its initial explosive publication.It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow-and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling-and how their lives would play out from that point on.For Harry, this is that story at last.​Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness-and, because he blamed the press for his mother's death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.​At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn't find true love.​Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple's cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother...​For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.Watch the Royal Beat on True Royalty TV https://trueroyalty.tv/homePlease do subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people hear the podcastFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the monarch's eldest daughters - instead of their sons - had been crowned throughout history? This week on The Royal Beat: Back in Time we ask exactly that. Kate Thornton is joined by historians Dr Fern Riddell, Kate McCaffrey and author of 'Regina, The Queens Who Could Have Been' Emily Murdoch Perkins. From the wildly independent daughter of a medieval King to the woman who launched the Tudor dynasty, and also a Victorian Princess who could have changed the fate of Europe, our experts uncover the lives of these royal women who were never crowned. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Royal Beat: Book Club, guest presenter Sarah Hewson is joined by Author Katie Nicholl, Royal Biographer Ingrid Seward, and former Spokesperson to Queen Elizabeth II, Dickie Arbiter, to discuss the legacy of Elizabeth II. Two years on from both the late Queen's death, and the publication of Katie's book 'The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown', the guests look back at how Her Majesty balanced the monarchy with motherhood and navigated the fallouts from her adult children's personal lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Thornton is joined by historians Alison Weir, Nicola Tallis and Sarah Gristwood to discuss the dramatic life of England's first ruling Queen, Mary I - often known as 'Bloody Mary'. From her father Henry VIII's multiple marriages, to England's break from the Catholic Church, we discover how close Mary came to losing everything before finally winning the crown, and gaining her bloody reputation.Watch the Royal Beat on True Royalty TV https://trueroyalty.tv/homePlease do subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people hear the podcastFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of The Royal Beat: Book Club we discuss the wonderful life of Prince Philip. Known for his straightforward demeanour and at times controversial remarks, he’s a public figure that has been and continues to be of great interest. This week Gareth Russell presents the show and is joined by Assistant Editor at The Times Kate Mansey, Former Communications Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Ailsa Anderson and author of The Duke: 100 Chapters in the Life of Prince Philip Ian Lloyd. Ian’s book delves into Prince Philip's complex childhood, the first meeting between himself and wife Queen Elizabeth and we discover that behind the headlines he was in fact a very sensitive man with a huge heart.Watch the Royal Beat on True Royalty TV https://trueroyalty.tv/homePlease do subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people hear the podcastFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of The Royal Beat: Back in Time, we look at the Duke and Duchess of Windsor through a new lens, as we explore their love of all things opulent and expensive - especially jewels. But where exactly did their enviable collection of precious stones come from? Did the Duke - as King Edward VIII - take them from the royal collection to give to Wallis Simpson? How did so many come to be stolen in a house robbery in 1946? And where did their incredible gems end up after their deaths? Kate Thornton examines these questions and many more along with Richard Wallace - author of new book ‘The King’s Loot: The Greatest Royal Jewellery Heist in History’, as well as biographer and author of 'That Woman', Anne Sebba, and Managing Director and Co-Founder of Europe's largest online diamond retailer, 77 Diamonds - Tobias Kormind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From a normal upbringing to becoming the wife of a future King and mother to two Princes and a Princess, we explore the story of how Kate Middleton became the Princess of Wales. Host Kate Thornton is joined by Robert Jobson, the author of new biography ‘Catherine, The Princess of Wales’, Hello! Magazine's Royal Editor Emily Nash, and the Mail On Sunday's Royal Correspondent Natasha Livingstone to discuss all the defining moments of the royal's life so far. The show covers everything from her school days to her relationship with Prince William and so much more.Watch the Royal Beat on True Royalty TV https://trueroyalty.tv/homePlease do subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people hear the podcastFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of The Royal Beat: Back In Time we discuss the ultimate survivor. The Queen of England who outlived her husband, Henry VIII, to become one of the most powerful figures in Tudor England. But in this show, we dissect the suspicions surrounding the death of Katherine Parr - from her sudden death to a very quick burial. Kate Thornton reveals the mysteries of her death with historians Dr Elizabeth Norton, Dr Onyeka Nubia, and author on this subject, June Woolerton.Watch the Royal Beat on True Royalty TV https://trueroyalty.tv/homePlease do subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people hear the podcastFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of The Royal Beat: Book Club we discuss the extraordinary life of The Queen Mother and her extremely frosty relationship with her sister-in-law Wallis Simpson. Over the Queen Mothers incredible 101 year life, six different monarchs ruled and she witnessed some of the rockiest periods the royals have ever faced - from her turbulent relationship with Wallis Simpson to the courage she showed during World War 2. She's considered to be one of the most popular members of the royal family ever, and in this episode of The Royal Beat: Book Club, three royal authors, who have all written about The Queen Mother, delve into her life in the royal spotlight.Kate Thornton is joined by three fabulous Royal Authors, Anne Sebba, Gareth Russell and Ingrid Seward. Watch the Royal Beat on True Royalty TV https://trueroyalty.tv/homePlease do subscribe and leave a review. It helps more people hear the podcastFollow for all the best in Royal stories:Facebook: @trueroyaltytvInstagram: @trueroyaltytvTikTok: @trueroyaltytvYouTube: @trueroyaltyTR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.