The Royals

As the King lands in Washington for a high-stakes US state visit, former US National Security Adviser John Bolton joins Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey to examine the real state of the 'special relationship'. He reveals why Donald Trump is drawn to the royal family, describing his UK visits as some of the happiest moments of his presidency, and explains why that personal connection could matter more than traditional diplomacy. So, can the King can influence Trump? Or does the monarchy risk being pulled into political controversy at a particularly tense moment.Image: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: King Charles is ready for Trump, but would Elizabeth have cancelled?

Virginia Giuffre made headlines worldwide after speaking out about the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as well as his former friend, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.One year after her death, Virginia’s brother, Sky Roberts, and sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, join Roya Nikkhah to discuss her life and their loss. The anniversary comes at a particularly sensitive moment for the monarchy. In just a few days’ time, the King and Queen will travel to the United States for a state visit, with Virginia’s family now calling on the royal couple to meet with Epstein’s survivors.Should the King and Queen meet Epstein survivors during their US visit? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Dan BoxRead more: What really happened to Virginia Giuffre?

Next week, The Royals podcast is on the ground in Washington D.C. as the King and Queen begin a historic—and highly delicate—state visit. The royal editors of The Times and The Sunday Times, Kate Mansey and Roya Nikkhah, are in the capital, asking whether the monarchy can still help heal the 'special relationship' at a time of immense transatlantic tension. From the shadow of the Middle East conflict and the legacy of Epstein, to the tightrope diplomacy of the King’s meeting with President Trump, this visit faces unprecedented challenges. Subscribe to The Royals wherever you get your podcasts.

On what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday, we look back at the life and legacy of a monarch who came to define an age.Beloved by millions but a century after her birth, harder questions are being asked: about the institution she led, the problems left unresolved at the end of her reign, and how history should judge her.Roya Nikkhah is joined by The Times's executive editor Jeremy Griffin, and Lord Robin Janvrin, the late queen’s former private secretary and chair of her memorial committee, about the public sovereign and the private woman behind the Crown.The US state visit is next week. Can the King help repair the 'special relationship' with President Trump? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Daniel Box

Why are Harry and Meghan in Australia and why now? Their four-day trip has all the hallmarks of a traditional royal tour but it has also raised questions – is this philanthropy or personal branding? Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by Australian royal correspondent Juliet Rieden to discuss how the visit is landing locally and what it reveals about their role on the global stage. We also turn to the mounting pressures facing Prince Harry back in Britain, including an extraordinary legal battle with his own former charity. So is this trip a show of strength or a distraction from the challenges closing in? And what does it all mean for a possible family return to the UK this summer.Queen Elizabeth II would have turned 100 next week — but how should she be remembered? And has her legacy changed in the three years since her death? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

Will the King’s upcoming US state visit be overshadowed by the Epstein scandal? US Congressman Ro Khanna, who co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, tells Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey why he believes King Charles should use his address to Congress to acknowledge the scandal and meet survivors. Plus, The Times chief US reporter Josie Ensor explains why the Epstein story risks following the Royal Family’s diplomatic work in America.Do you think the King should meet Epstein survivors? And can the King help repair the 'special relationship' with President Trump? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

Prince William has addressed questions about his religion publicly for the first time, revealing to The Sunday Times his Christianity as a “quiet faith". But why has William chosen to speak now? And what does a “quiet faith” mean for a future King who will also be Supreme Governor of the Church of England?That approach was tested this week as William and Catherine attended the installation of the first female Archbishop of Canterbury.Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by The Times religious affairs correspondent Kaya Burgess to examine William’s intervention, how it differs from previous monarchs, and whether it reflects a monarchy evolving for a more secular, multi-faith Britain.Do you think William’s ‘quiet faith’ fits a modern monarchy? Or does a monarch need to be more openly religious? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukRead more: Prince William confirms 'quiet faith' and new commitment to ChurchImage: GettyProducer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

Questions are being raised about Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s royal titles amid renewed attention on the monarchy following the Epstein files and the arrest of their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey discuss the future of the York sisters within a slimmed-down monarchy, and whether the spotlight on their roles is unfair or an inevitable consequence.Do you think Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie should keep their royal titles? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: Getty Producer: Robert WallaceExecutive Producer: Priyanka Deladia