The Royals

Sir Clive Alderton, the King’s most senior aide, is preparing to step down after 20 years at Charles and Camilla’s side. But who will replace him as King Charles’s new right-hand man?Kate Mansey is joined by Queen Elizabeth II’s former communications secretary Simon Lewis and royal biographer Robert Hardman to enter the hidden world of royal courtiers. What do the palace’s so-called “men in grey suits” actually do? How much influence do they wield over the royal family? And what happens when their advice is ignored?Simon reveals what life was really like inside Buckingham Palace, from driving the Queen at Balmoral to advising the sovereign behind closed doors. They also discuss Prince Harry’s clashes with Sir Clive, how Andrew circumvented palace officials, and the qualities the King will need in his next principal private secretary.Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceVideo Producer: Eve ChadbournExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaWatch us on YouTube.Read more: Wanted: skilled diplomat who knows how to make the King laugh

Prince Harry and six other high-profile claimants lost every claim in their privacy case against Associated Newspapers. Now the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday is seeking almost £10 million upfront towards a £34.5 million legal bill.Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah are joined by The Times legal editor Jonathan Ames to examine who could ultimately pay — and whether Harry’s description of the judgment as a “complete and obvious whitewash” could make matters worse.They also discuss the palace’s alarm over his attack on the courts, outgoing courtier Sir Clive Alderton’s role in Harry’s battles with the press, and whether this defeat will finally bring his long-running campaign against the British press to an end.Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceVideo Producer: Eve ChadbournExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaWatch on YouTube.Read more: Plot to destroy the press: the real story of Harry's hacking trial

As Andy Burnham becomes Britain’s new prime minister, King Charles invites his fourth leader in four years to form a government, raising fresh questions about the true extent of royal influence behind closed doors. Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by Valentine Low, former royal correspondent of The Times and author of Power and the Palace, to explore how the power of the Crown really works. What does King Charles and Andy Burnham's surprising history tell us about the future of their relationship? And what happens when royal interests collide with government priorities?Valentine book, Power and the Palace: How the Royals Exercise Political Influence is available now. You can buy a copy from The Times Bookshop, with a special discount for Times+ members.Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceVideo Producer: Eve ChadbournExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaWatch on YouTube.Read more: Palace refused to have post-Brexit deal signed at Windsor Castle

Prince Harry and Meghan returned to Britain with Archie and Lilibet for a strictly private reunion with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove. There were no photographs, few official details and — unusually — no briefing war afterwards.Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah reveal what they know about the meeting, why Camilla’s presence was so significant, and how Harry felt afterwards. They also ask whether the reunion can lead to a lasting reconciliation while Prince William remains outside the thaw.But Harry’s reunion came amid the fallout from his High Court defeat against Associated Newspapers. His description of the judgment as a “whitewash” reportedly left palace aides with their “jaws on the floor”.So can Harry rebuild trust with his father while continuing his public battles with the press and the British establishment — and can he finally become a peacetime prince?Next week, incoming prime minister Andy Burnham meets the King — what would you like to know about that relationship? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaWatch on YouTube.Read more: Palace 'jaws were on the floor' after Prince Harry's judiciary attack

Prince Harry is back in Britain for events linked to the Invictus Games — but what should have been a visit focused on his charity work has become a full blown Sussex-Palace psychodrama. Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey unpack a bruising week for the Duke of Sussex: a humiliating High Court defeat against the publishers of the Daily Mail, a row over Buckingham Palace accommodation, unresolved security concerns, and uncertainty over whether Meghan, Archie and Lilibet will come to the UK. Was this ever an opening for reconciliation with the royal family — or does every return to Britain now risk becoming another palace crisis?Has Harry overplayed his hand - or has the palace acted coldly? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: Harry, the Duke of Hazard?

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton is a former SAS soldier who became one of the royal family’s most trusted insiders – serving the Queen Mother, guiding Princes William and Harry through their early public lives, playing a key role in Prince William and Kate’s 2011 royal wedding, and later becoming godfather to Prince George.This week on The Royals, Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah speak to Jamie about what it takes to prepare young royals for public duty, and what he learnt about William’s future as king, Harry’s bond with the military and Kate's quiet confidence. And as the royal family becomes increasingly slimmed-down, what can his experience tell us about the challenges facing the next generation?Jamie's novel, Beyond the Edge of Light, is available from 9th July. You can buy a copy from The Times Bookshop, with a special discount for Times+ members.Got a question? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert Wallace, Harry BlighExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: Kate, Wills and Harry's confidant: the man who kept their secrets

King Charles and Prince William have revealed their personal tax bills for the first time, in a historic moment for royal financial transparency. But the disclosures come as the Sovereign Grant rises to £132.1 million, with core royal household funding set to double in the next three years.This week on The Royals, Kate Mansey is joined by Katie Tarrant, Whitehall correspondent for The Sunday Times, to unpack the Sovereign Grant report. They discuss why the King and Queen will not move back into Buckingham Palace after its £369 million reservicing programme, how William is responding to scrutiny over Dartmoor Prison rental income, and what the accounts reveal about Duchy wealth, public funding and value for money. Is the Palace’s new transparency push enough to answer critics – or does it simply open the door to more questions about royal money?Is this a new era of royal transparency? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: King Charles and Prince William pay more than £50m in tax

From Trooping the Colour to Garter Day and Royal Ascot, this was the week the royal family put on their grandest annual display of glamour and spectacle. This week on The Royals, Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by the historian and author A.N. Wilson to ask whether these massive public events still have a place in modern Britain.They look beyond the carriages, uniforms and hats to discuss what these public ceremonies are designed to achieve for the monarchy and the country. At a time of protests, scandal, a smaller working royal family and growing scrutiny over royal wealth, is pageantry still the monarchy’s best way of proving its value, or does the institution now have to work harder to justify the show?Do the royals justify the pageantry? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk Roya won! But you can still donate to Roya’s racing challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support through JustGiving.Image: GettyProducer: Robert Wallace, Shabnam GrewalExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: To shake off Andrew, royals must pay their way

From palace homes for non-working royals to "peppercorn" rents and subletting arrangements, the fallout from a major royal property investigation continues. This week on The Royals, Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah are joined by The Times investigations reporter George Greenwood to examine why the National Audit Office report has struck such a chord. They discuss reports that the King is reviewing Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s rent arrangements, and Prince William’s hints at reform when he becomes king. So, what could this mean ahead of the renewal of the Sovereign Grant and a parliamentary inquiry into royal finances? And how much of this stems from the public outcry over Andrew’s Royal Lodge lease?Have a question about royal finances? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk.You can donate to Roya’s racing challenge for Macmillan Cancer Support through JustGiving.Image: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: Cosy property deals hurt the monarchy - here's how to fix them