PIERS Morgan has waded into the row between Spotify and Meghan & Harry after the couple demanded the platform remove podcaster Joe Rogan.
Last week US musician Neil Young removed his music from the platform in protest at it hosting content by podcast superstar Joe Rogan that contained disinformation about Covid-19 vaccines.
Young was followed by singer Joni Mitchell who removed her music in solidarity with Young, triggering a wave of debate about whether other high profile figures – including Prince Harry & Duchess of Sussex – would remove their songs as well.
Rogan’s podcast ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ is easily the most-popular show on Spotify after he joined in a £100m deal, but he has repeatedly been accused of using it to encourage his “fit and healthy” fans not to get the vaccine.
In a column for The Sun, Piers said: “In a new low, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have demanded the Swedish streaming platform — which paid them $25 million last year to do their own podcast — do something about Rogan’s ‘rampant misinformation.’
“Sorry, WHAT? A pair of two-bit minor British royal family renegades best known for spewing outrageously harmful misinformation to Oprah Winfrey are trying to suppress an American’s First Amendment right to free speech?”
“How dare she and her equally hypocritical husband, Harry, make any demands from a company that’s paid them a fortune to so far produce one podcast that was so bad, I needed urgent brain cell restoration surgery after enduring it?
“If the choice of whom to listen to in America is a curious, smart man who listens to myriad views to get to the truth, or a pair of fork-tongued, woke wastrels whose only currency is trashing the royal institution that gave them their titles to exploit for vast financial gain, give me the former anytime.”
Read our Meghan Markle live blog for the latest news and gossip
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Charles asks for 2022 ‘to be year of action’ on Chinese New Year
The Prince of Wales has urged the world to create a better future for the next generation by living and working in “harmony with nature and the planet”.
Charles’ appeal to “make this a year of action” was made in a message of congratulations to those in China and across the globe celebrating the Lunar New Year, which begins on Tuesday, the Year of the Tiger.
The Lunar New Year is the start of a two-week celebration and is the most important holiday for billions of people around the world.
During the festival, homes are festooned with red paper lanterns and families gather to share sumptuous feasts, enjoying symbolic dishes such as dumplings, representing gold ingots, and noodles, denoting long life.
In his message, the prince said: “My wife and I would like to wish a happy, healthy and prosperous new year to all those in China – and everyone celebrating the new Lunar Year across the world.
“As we enter the Year of The Tiger, known for courageous action and rising to challenge and adventure, I hope the whole world will make this a year of action.
“Together let’s create a better future for all our children by shifting the way we live and work to be in harmony with nature and the planet. The blessing of the tiger brings happiness to all families in the year of the tiger. Wishing you peace and happiness.”
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Sussexes stick with £18million podcast deal
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had come under pressure to ditch their reported £18million mega-deal with the company after it was accused of hosting anti-jab content by US comedian Joe Rogan.
In a statement released over the weekend, they said they had spoken with Spotify bosses about their concerns.
But the couple insisted they were committed to continuing their own deal with the tech giant “to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis”.
They said: “Since the inception of Archewell, we have worked to address the real-time global misinformation crisis.
“Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of mis- and disinformation every day.
“Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all too real consequences of Covid misinformation on its platform.
“We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis.
“We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does.”
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Nation urged to hold biggest ever ‘Thank You’ party during Platinum Jubilee
The nation is being urged to throw the biggest ever thank you party during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend.
Celebrities Ross Kemp, Gary Lineker, Gareth Southgate, Levi Roots, Prue Leith, Alan Titchmarsh, Ellie Simmonds and Lorraine Kelly are among those backing the special Thank You Day on Sunday June 5.
It is hoped millions will gather at street parties, host a Big Jubilee Lunch or get together around the county to thank the Queen for 70 years of service, but also to thank neighbours, family, friends, communities, the NHS and key workers for their support over the past year.
Former EastEnders actor Kemp said: “Mainly it’s thank you to our Queen who has served for 70 years.
“Her resilience has become our resilience. Her strength in times of trouble has become our strength.
“Her sense of duty has been reflected in so many over the last two years.
“It’s a big thank you to her, but it’s also a thank you, if you wish, to the staff at NHS, key workers, people who have volunteered, neighbours who have just gone round and checked on people.”
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Heartwarming stories of Sun readers meeting The Queen
NEXT weekend, the Queen will have been on the throne for an incredible 70 years.
Her Majesty has met thousands of people – in all walks of life, all over the world – over those decades. No one forgets the moment they came face to face with her.
So we asked for your memories of the day YOU met the Queen – and they were wonderful!
- ‘I remember thinking: What a beautiful face. She’s so amazing’
- We were ordered at RAF lunch not to stare – but it was hard
- The picture of our meeting hangs proudly in my hallway
- Chat on Canada tour made my Grandad so proud
Read the stories in full here.
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Prince Phillips horses were left to Lady Louise
Prince Philip, who passed away last April, left his beloved ponies and carriage to granddaughter Lady Louise.
The Duke of Edinburgh had taught the young royal how to do carriage driving before his recent death.
Prince Edward, who is the Queen’s youngest child, was also asked when he personally realised his mum was the monarch.
He said: “I can’t necessarily remember when that realisation was there.
“When you grow up in that family and in that environment, that’s just what your parents do.
“It’s been much more interesting watching our children growing up, and watching our children trying to work out what that this, and how that works. It was probably not until five or six I think.”
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Not long now until the Jubilee coin goes in to circulation
The Royal Mint has unveiled a new commemorative coin showing the Queen on horseback, ahead of the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee this year.
Some 1.3 million coins will enter Post Office tills across the UK from Monday 7 February, the Royal Mint says.
That makes the Jubilee 50p one of the rarest ever to enter circulation.
The design, by artists Osborne Ross, features a number 70 engraved on the tails side of the coin, with the monarch’s cypher and dates of reign framed inside the zero.
It is one of two special edition 50p coins to be released as part of a Royal Mint collection celebrating the unprecedented anniversary.
The second coin, by artist John Bergdahl and depicting the Queen on horseback on its heads side, will not enter circulation.
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Book will provide a “definitive account of the experiences”
Prince Harry’s book will provide a “definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses and life lessons that have helped shape him”.
Exactly what it will reveal remains to be seen, and just how damaging it could prove to Charles and Camilla similarly hangs in the balance.
But Harry has previously shared how he experienced “pain or suffering” because of the pain his parents endured in a potential dig at the way Charles handled the death of Diana when he was just 12.
He also told Oprah Winfrey that his father “literally cut me off financially” in 2020 and discussed his “genetic pain”.
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Prince Phillips horses were left to Lady Louise
Prince Philip, who passed away last April, left his beloved ponies and carriage to granddaughter Lady Louise.
The Duke of Edinburgh had taught the young royal how to do carriage driving before his recent death.
Prince Edward, who is the Queen’s youngest child, was also asked when he personally realised his mum was the monarch.
He said: “I can’t necessarily remember when that realisation was there.
“When you grow up in that family and in that environment, that’s just what your parents do.
“It’s been much more interesting watching our children growing up, and watching our children trying to work out what that this, and how that works. It was probably not until five or six I think.”
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Sussexes £18m Spotify deal is a ‘disaster’ PR expert says
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released just over 35 minutes of content for the streaming giant so far, despite signing a reported £18million deal more than a year ago.
And last week, Spotify came under further fire for hosting anti-jab content by US comedian Joe Rogan – piling pressure on Harry and Meghan to quit.
In a statement released over the weekend, the couple insisted they were committed to continuing the partnership with the tech giant “to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis”.
But public relations expert Anthony Burr believes the mega bucks deal is now a “disaster” and the Sussexes should look at the situation “very carefully” to protect their brand’s image.
Mr Burr told the Sun Online: “It’s a bit of a disaster right now. You’ve got this coming out when people are looking.
“If it’s not working or they don’t like the deal with Spotify, this is the time they can step out and say ‘right, I don’t like the content you’re producing’.
“Using the anti-vax stuff as an excuse would be the way out if they want out.”
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Queen’s ‘favourite’ granddaughter had no idea who her gran was
During a rare TV interview in 2016, Prince Edward’s wife Sophie Wessex revealed their daughter Lady Louise, 17, had no idea that her gran was Queen growing up.
Sophie said that Lady Louise had “no concept” of her “grandmama” was famous, and found out in a very unusual way.
In an interview for the Queen’s 90th birthday, Sophie told Sky News: “I mean Louise had no concept really that the Queen and her grandmother were one and the same person.
“It wasn’t until she was at school that other children were mentioning it and saying, ‘Your gran is the Queen’.
“And she’d come home and say, ‘Mummy they say that Grandmama is the Queen.’
“And I said, ‘Yes,’ and she said, ‘I don’t understand what they mean.’”
Prince Edward and Sophie, both 57, typically keep their kids, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn, 14, out of the spotlight.
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Heartwarming stories of Sun readers meeting The Queen
NEXT weekend, the Queen will have been on the throne for an incredible 70 years.
Her Majesty has met thousands of people – in all walks of life, all over the world – over those decades. No one forgets the moment they came face to face with her.
So we asked for your memories of the day YOU met the Queen – and they were wonderful!
- ‘I remember thinking: What a beautiful face. She’s so amazing’
- We were ordered at RAF lunch not to stare – but it was hard
- The picture of our meeting hangs proudly in my hallway
- Chat on Canada tour made my Grandad so proud
Read the stories in full here.
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“There are deep, deep worries that this will get worse”
Princes Charles, 73, and William, 39, are leading efforts to persuade him to stop the case dragging on to protect the family from further humiliation, royal sources say.
A Royal source told The Sun: “After the car crash of News night no-one thinks a seven-hour deposition is a good idea. If he were to appear in court it could be many times worse and senior royals were deeply shocked when they heard that he was demanding a jury trial.
“The best outcome for everyone is that this is settled as soon as possible. There are deep, deep worries that this will get worse and worse for the family and will overshadow Platinum Jubilee celebrations.”
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Andrew gives up golf membership
The Duke of York, 61, gave The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews “notification” he wished to hand back his membership, the club said yesterday.
Giving up his membership will be a humiliation for the duke who is a passionate golf fan, meeting many of the top names in the sport over the years.
Andrew will no longer enjoy the perks of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, where the duke was regarded as being a member in a private capacity.
A spokesperson for the club, said: “I can confirm that The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has received notification that the Duke of York will relinquish his honorary membership.
“We respect and appreciate his decision.”
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Queen ‘always forgives’ Prince Andrew
A royal biographer has claimed that Prince Andrew was ‘always forgiven’ by the Queen and had a “radically different personality to his siblings.
Nigel Cawthorne wrote in the Daily Mail two years ago that Buckingham Palace staff found Andrew a “handful” from the very beginning.
He said: “He had seven nurseries in four palaces, endless sumptuous treats and far more of his mother’s attention.
“Somehow, Andrew was always forgiven — even when he sprinkled itching power in his mother’s bed or climbed on to the roof of Buckingham Palace to turn the TV aerial so that the Queen wouldn’t be able to watch the racing at Sandown Park.”
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Spotify stepping in to help
Bosses at Spotify are stepping in to help Harry and Meghan deliver the goods.
They are recruiting new in-house staff to work with Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Audio for a show that features “the voices of high profile women.”
The jobs are being offered to applicants on short six-month contracts based in Los Angeles.
Harry and Meghan’s only podcast effort so far has been a 35-minute ‘holiday special’ in December 2020, featuring celebrity pals such as Elton John and James Corden.
Fans have been questioning when their so-called “full-scale launch” of episodes would be coming.
With only one show under their belts, the streaming platform has so far paid the couple £500,000 for each minute.
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Andrew ‘admits’ links to Jeffrey Epstein & Ghislaine Maxwell
The Duke’s legal reply does admit his links to billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
The document, submitted to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, also sets out a series of defences “without assuming the burden of proof, and expressly denying any and all wrongdoing”.
This includes arguments that the claim should be dismissed because Ms Giuffre is a permanent resident of Australia and that by entering into the 2009 agreement with Jeffrey Epstein she “waived the claims now asserted in the complaint”.
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Charity set up by Prince Phillip infiltrated
CHINESE intelligence officers infiltrated a charity set up by the late Prince Philip.
They wheedled their way into FaithInvest to conduct operations and buy influence.
Agents teamed up with the charity to meet the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle. The Duke also met the charity’s co-founder, Martin Palmer, at Buckingham Palace.
The revelations come after UK intelligence exposed a Chinese spy ring that tried to infiltrate Parliament.
And intelligence sources have now revealed that Communist agents working for a Beijing department accused by MI5 of espionage visited the Palace in 2017.
They also met the Prince on several occasions through a second charity, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), which was also set up by Mr Palmer.
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Platinum bank holiday weekend (Continued…)
A Big Jubilee Lunch will then be held up and down the country on June 5, with over 1,400 people having registered to host their own big lunch so far.
Other celebrations include the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, where performers, dancers, musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers will unite to tell the story of The Queen’s 70 year reign in a festival of creativity.
The London based Pageant is said to combine “pomp and ceremony, street arts, theatre, music, circus, costumes as well as cutting-edge visual technology”.
A ‘River of Hope’ section will also see two hundred silk flags process down The Mall, appearing like a moving river.
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Platinum bank holiday weekend (Continued…)
On the Friday, a Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Further details of the are expected to be announced in due course.
On the Saturday, the BBC will host a huge ‘Platinum Party at the Palace’ – a live concert bringing together some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars to celebrate some of the most significant moments from The Queen’s reign.
All UK residents can enter a ballot to secure tickets, set to launch in February.
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Platinum bank holiday weekend
The long weekend will start with a bang on the Thursday as the Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) is held.
The colour will be trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, and more than 1,200 officers and soldiers from the Household Division will put on a display of military pageantry on Horse Guards Parade, together with hundreds of Army musicians and horses.
On the same day, over 1500 towns, villages and cities throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories will come together to light a beacon to mark the Jubilee.
Beacons will also be lit in each of the capital cities of Commonwealth countries, with the Principal beacon will be lit in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
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Royal hospital visits sparked a surge in Brits writing wills last year
Hospital visits made by the Queen and Prince Philip sparked a surge in Brits writing up wills last year, according to figures.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s admittance to hospital in February 2021 led to an upsurge of 131 per cent in the number of wills produced.
According to the insight from will writer and funeral provider, Farewill, the ‘Royal effect’ continued with a 26 percent increase in will writing following the Queen going into hospital on 22 October.
Other notable announcements included Sir Captain Tom Moore receiving treatment for Covid, which saw a 39 per cent spike in will writing.
While the tragic passing of Girls Aloud star, Sarah Harding, at the age of 39, had a profound effect on the millennial generation – with a 33 percent increase in end-of-life planning the following day.
Additional research polling 2,000 UK adults also found nearly a third (32 percent) said they rarely consider their own mortality unless prompted by the death of others.
While seeing someone of the same age (34 percent) or younger (36 percent) pass away was particularly impactful.
It also emerged Mondays at 2pm is the most popular time to write a will, with nearly a fifth of all will writing to take place over the last three years being on the first day of the week.
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A quiet year for Harry and Meghan?
The royal editor of the Daily Mirror Russell Myers highlighted this as a point of concern for the couple in 2022 following their multi-million deals with Spotify and Netflix this year.
An Australian TV host asked Mr Myers: “Russell, is it a quiet year ahead for Harry and Meghan or are we going to hear more from them?”
Mr Myers responded: “Anything can happen with those two, to be honest.
“They pop up every now and then and the world laps it up.”
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Prince Andrew could face ‘BAILIFFS coming round’
PRINCE Andrew faces bailiffs turning up at his home – the £30 million Royal Lodge to seize his assets – if loses his sex case trial, a lawyer has warned.
Already there have been claims he has sold his £17 million ski chalet in the Swiss alps to avoid having it seized should he lose the case.
And while his home, the Royal Lodge, is not owned by him – he could see officers from the court turning up at the gates.
Lawyer Arick Fudali, who has worked closely with victims of Epstein for Lisa Bloom’s firm, said Andrew faces having his assets seized if he loses.
“There is a method and procedure for seizing assets, even overseas assets, in the event there is an award of damages and the defendant tries to avoid paying,” he told The Sun Online.
“This could include seizing bank accounts, physical property, etc.
“Assuming for the sake of this question that there is an award of damages against Prince Andrew, he would be able to avoid the seizure of assets by posting a bond pending the inevitable appeal.
“Assuming the appeal goes in favour of Ms. Giuffre, Prince Andrew would either have to pay the amount owed, settle the matter for another amount, or risk his assets being seized.”
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Sussexes stick with £18million podcast deal
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had come under pressure to ditch their reported £18million mega-deal with the company after it was accused of hosting anti-jab content by US comedian Joe Rogan.
In a statement released over the weekend, they said they had spoken with Spotify bosses about their concerns.
But the couple insisted they were committed to continuing their own deal with the tech giant “to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis”.
They said: “Since the inception of Archewell, we have worked to address the real-time global misinformation crisis.
“Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of mis- and disinformation every day.
“Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all too real consequences of Covid misinformation on its platform.
“We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis.
“We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does.”
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Meghan Markle could relaunch her blog
MEGHAN Markle could be set to relaunch her lifestyle blog, five years after closing it down.
The Duchess of Sussex shut The Tig, which is named after her favourite wine Tignanello, in April 2017 – before announcing her engagement to Prince Harry that year.
Now Meghan has applied to reactivate The Tig trademark, a move sure to excite her fans.
She previously described the blog as a “passion project” which “evolved into an amazing community of inspiration, support, fun and frivolity”.
Public records in America, accessed by The Mail, show LA lawyer Marjorie Witter Norman filed a new application to trademark the name in July last year.
The trademark application was filed under a Delaware-based holding company called Frim Fram Inc, which is linked to the Duchess’ business manager Andrew Meyer, according to the Mail.