“It’s hilarious, but not in a good way”

Former friends of Prince Harry, who played polo with him in their younger years, have told the Daily Beast that they were left in “shocked hysteria” by the new trailer for his and Meghan Markle’s “tacky” new Netflix show about polo. A Hollywood executive has warned that the couple are “out of last chances” to prove they can make compelling TV that is not about themselves, and speculated that their future may lie in social media influence.

The trailer in front Polo dropped this week, and has been ignored or ridiculed in the global media, a clear sign that Harry and Meghan’s once bright star appears to be fading.

Although their roles as “executive producers” are highlighted in full-screen in the credits, the cheesy trailer does not feature an appearance from Harry or Meghan.

Instead, the three-minute clip features characters largely unknown outside the closed world of professional sports. In a particularly hammy moment, which seems designed to cash in on the story of royal discord, a young player says he’s going to play against his father and says, “I want to beat my father.”

A former friend of Harry’s, who played polo with him as a teenager, said: ‘It’s hilarious, but not in a good way. It’s so tacky and cringey, it’s literally the worst things about polo. I watched it in shocked hysteria.”

Another former friend said: ‘The irony is that polo is a surprisingly inclusive sport these days. You see a lot of rich kids, but there are also a lot of kids from less rare backgrounds who happen to be fantastic riders sponsored by the teams. It doesn’t look like this show will bring that to the forefront, which is a real missed opportunity.

A senior Hollywood executive told The Daily Beast: “This doesn’t seem to capture the imagination. They’ll still have Meghan’s cooking show on next year, but there’s little tolerance for throwing money away these days. The question is whether anyone cares about these two if they don’t serve up scandalous stories about the royal family. They are running out of last chances to prove this isn’t the case. If they can’t, they can try to monetize their social media fame. A lot of people would still give Harry a million dollars for a post.”

The trailer was ridiculed by the prominent people Daily mail columnist Liz Jones. Jones was a sympathizer of Meghan for years, but recently turned against the duchess.

In a particularly biting comment, she opines: “What now? His own slot on the Shopping Channel? How can Harry and Meghan travel the world preaching about poverty, diversity and inclusivity if not a single black player can be spied on? The money required to run a polo team undoubtedly exceeds that of Formula 1. How can they lecture us about global warming? if a player admits that he flies to Argentina twice a week?”

Comforts of home
King Charles’ new office at Buckingham Palace is in the same room where he was born. The Sunday Times reports that Charles has moved his office to the Belgian Suite on the ground floor of the Garden Wing of Buckingham Palace. The suite of rooms includes the Orleans Room, where Charles was born on November 14, 1948.

A friend of the king told the Times: “He is always aware of the significance of history, and the decision to settle in the Orleans Room would not have been made without a half smile. The king will enjoy the symmetry of performing his duties as monarch in the room where he was born.”

The Times also reports that there will be no more state visits to the palace for the next three years due to its £369 million ($462 million) renovation.

The palace says Charles will fund the renovation of his private rooms; the rest of the palace renovation will be paid for by British taxpayers, with Charles “mindful that the public purse should not pay for personal touches.”

The Times says Charles sees Buckingham Palace as the “headquarters of the monarchy” but that he and Queen Camilla are both “very comfortable” at Clarence House, which is nearby. “I know he is not a fan of ‘the big house’, as he calls the palace,” a source told the newspaper. “He doesn’t see it as a viable future home or a home fit for purpose in the modern world.”

Another royal source told the newspaper: “It is certainly true that Camilla does not want to live at Buckingham Palace.”

A friend of the king told the Times: “This is the gradual shift of the monarchy. There was a time when people said, ‘If the (late) Queen doesn’t live in Buckingham Palace, what’s the point of Buckingham Palace?’ The King is aware that it will remain the headquarters of the monarchy, with the advantage that he can open it and make it even more accessible to the public in the future – it’s a win-win situation.”

Camilla’s long recovery

Queen Camilla’s decision to skip the Royal Variety Performance this week, palace sources told the Daily Beast, was due to a “lingering” chest infection. It seems she has been suffering from it since her return from the royal tour just over three weeks ago. The decision to cancel will not have been taken lightly by the palace, which is well aware of the optics of an ailing, aging monarchy. King Charles is 76 and Camilla is 77.

However, Camilla may not have been personally upset about missing the famous live show, which this year featured greats such as ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ show winner Sydnie Christmas, with a friend telling us: ‘It’s not exactly her cup of tea. .”

Gladiator and king

Irishman Paul Mescal, asked at the premiere of Gladiator II what it was like to meet the king, sighed and said dryly, “I mean, it’s definitely not something I thought was on the bingo cards. I’m Irish so it’s not on the priority list. But it’s amazing for Ridley (Scott) because I know how important that is to him.

The Irish times has praised Mescal as a deft diplomat for his measured response.

This week in royal history
On November 26, 1992, the British government announced that Queen Elizabeth II had volunteered to pay taxes on her personal income.

Unanswered questions

Do Harry and Meghan have a future in Hollywood? When will Camilla feel well enough to return to work?