The Daily Beast Podcast: Why King Charles Must Abdicate Now (March 18, 2026)

Host: Tom Sykes (for The Royalist, Daily Beast)
Notable Guests: Andrew Lownie, Plum Sykes, Paula Froehlich, Shauna Kay
Main Theme:
A no-holds-barred exploration into the ongoing crisis enveloping the British royal family—specifically the ramifications of Prince Andrew’s scandals on King Charles’s reign, and the argument for abdication. Other highlights include insider royal fashion at Cheltenham, a caustic examination of the Harry & Meghan “Rent-a-Royal Tour,” and the cultural resonance (or lack thereof) of Sussex commercial ventures in Australia.

Episode Overview

This kickoff episode of The Royalist, led by royal journalist Tom Sykes, delivers incisive commentary and exclusive interviews, promising listeners transparent, source-based reporting on royal affairs. The episode’s anchor is Andrew Lownie’s explosive take on the Prince Andrew-Epstein scandal, its cover-up, and why the monarchy teeters on the edge. The tone is sharp, gossipy, and sometimes irreverent, matching the podcast’s “truth-telling, no fluff” mission.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. The Andrew Update – Should King Charles Abdicate?

Guest: Andrew Lownie, Royal Biographer
Timestamps: 00:53–21:34

• The Palace’s Internal Crisis:

  • Recent Epstein document releases caught the palace unprepared ([00:53], Lownie).
  • Public posturing (“fully cooperate with authorities”) contradicts private warnings & suppressive legal letters.
  • Charles’s approach echoes decades of royal pattern: denial, delay, and attempts to ride out scandals.

• How Much Did the Queen and Charles Know?

  • Lownie is adamant: “plenty of information…could have obtained themselves from just talking to people…protection officers would have reported back. So I have no doubt that she knew a lot—as did King Charles” ([07:38], Lownie).
  • Suppression tactics were widespread: legal threats, restricted journalist access, and explicit efforts to manage internal dissent.

• Cover-up or Malpractice?

  • “Every time there was some allegation about Epstein, Andrew was given some new honour or new sign of endorsement… sending out a signal that…her son was innocent” ([07:23], Lownie).
  • The palace’s “sit it out” strategy failed under the avalanche of evidence.
  • Lownie: “It is a cover up and the cover up is proving to be as bad as the initial crimes” ([09:43]).

• The Abdication Question:

  • Lownie’s verdict: Charles may need to “fall on his sword and accept the blame for this and William takes over” ([10:24]).
  • Lownie compares the potential scenario to Edward VIII’s abdication ([10:59]).
  • Public trust could only be restored by true transparency; so far, the monarchy “seem[s] to have ducked that one” ([18:30]).

• Notable Quote:

  • “What makes me slightly cynical about this is that I saw Paul Page’s letter… reminded of his obligations of confidentiality… So on one hand, Charles is saying, ‘We’ll fully cooperate with authorities…’ and there are these letters going out reminding people not to speak. So I just wonder if what's been done for public consumption isn't actually what's happening in reality.” – Andrew Lownie ([12:33])

• On Royal Daughters’ Involvement:

  • New book material will cover Beatrice and Eugenie’s “involvement”—including money allegedly “fenced through their bank accounts.” ([16:34])

2. Royal Fashion at Cheltenham – Insiders’ Guide

Guest: Plum Sykes, Vogue writer
Timestamps: 21:40–33:17

• Atmosphere at Cheltenham:

  • “It’s like Ascot with welly boots and tweed. Not quite as formal, a lot of fun…they have a royal box, but it's all much more casual.” ([22:15], Plum Sykes)

• Style Watching:

  • Camilla’s “incredibly elegant camel colored coat… huge hat with tons of giant kind of pheasant feathers…always this kind of theme of pheasant feathers and countryside and tweed.” ([23:05], Plum Sykes)
  • Unfashion-conscious: “They just want to wear what they feel comfortable in… the opposite of the Oscars.” ([24:10], Plum Sykes)

• The High-Low Social Scene:

  • “At the top end is the boxes… Bamfords, Vestys... then the Guinness Village where everyone goes to drink Guinness…all the really posh dukes, viscounts, earls… they get bored of the boxes… Guinness Village, that’s their favorite place… they all start fighting with each other… then they all hug each other and congratulate each other for having a marvelous fight.” ([29:38], Sykes)
  • Fashion highlights: “Zara wearing a Katherine Hooker wrap coat… me and Em is this British brand… taking off hugely in America.” ([29:01])

3. Tea with Tom – ‘Rent-a-Royal Tour’ & Sussex Commercialism

Guest: Paula Froehlich, News Nation & Substack
Timestamps: 33:19–45:59

• Meghan’s Australian “Besties” Retreat:

  • Ostensible sell-out is quickly debunked: “A source…puts her name on the wait list…within hours, she gets an email going, congratulations. Yeah, we'd love to have you.” ([35:52], Froehlich).
  • Pricey VIP package ($3,100 AUD) includes “twin share rooms,” breakfast, dinners, “inspiring conversations, some yoga and sound healing. As well as you can partake in a disco.” ([37:10])

• Partner Troubles:

  • Gemma O’Neill (event host) is bankrupt, owing $550,000 AUD: “She had no savings, limited income, and couldn't refinance her Sydney apartment…Two weeks later, she announced the girls retreat with Meghan… as a grifter.” ([39:48])

• Social Media Hypocrisy:

  • Meghan leverages personal stories and children’s images for promotion, while publicly denouncing social platforms.
  • “I actually think it's causing a lot of tension in their own relationship.” ([42:17], Froehlich)

• Memorable Exchange:

  • “What do you get when you get two girls, zero funds, and one very expensive weekend? You get the grifters getaway.” – Paula Froehlich ([38:39])

4. The Royal Roast – Aussie Reaction to Sussex “Pay-Per-Play”

Guest: Shauna Kay, The Vintage Read
Timestamps: 46:18–56:50

• Meghan’s New Partner’s Debt Issues:

  • Meghan is “partnering and appearing on stage with somebody whose company is in liquidation and owes…half a million dollars” ([48:26]).

• Australian Response:

  • “Polite disinterest on one end and raging resentment on the other…Very much seen as commercial, very much seen as a B-grade sort of influencer event of not much note, bit tacky...only the desperates would turn up.” ([49:39], Shauna Kay)
  • Contrast with 2018’s rapturous reception—“the gold couple had their moment in the sun”—vs. post-tour stories of staff tears and negative impression: “Aussies don’t like fake…We want to know you’re genuinely a good person and that you treat your staff well…that’s where it came undone.” ([53:18])

• Regulatory, Financial, and Cultural Barriers:

  • Logistical challenges for product launches: “A lot of products don’t launch in our country because it’s prohibitive to actually get the product to Australia.” ([54:24])

• Petition and Official Backlash:

  • Over 8,600 signatures on a petition demanding no taxpayer-funded security for Harry & Meghan on their private commercial trip. ([55:06])

• Notable Line:

  • Aussie sentiment toward the Sussexes’ event is summed up as: “Yeah, nah.” ([49:39], Shauna Kay)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Andrew Lownie [09:43]:
  “It is a cover up and the cover up is proving to be as bad as the initial crimes.”

• Tom Sykes [13:17]:
  “It really is going to be very hard for Charles to claim that he knew nothing about this and that he did not cover it up… it is just inconceivable that this wasn’t run past Charles at a minimum.”

• Plum Sykes [29:38]:
  “There’s a very funny video where they all start fighting… finish the fight, this poor guy’s got a bloody nose… then they all hug each other and congratulate each other for having a marvelous fight. And then they go start another fight in the corner and have a pint of Guinness.”

• Paula Froehlich [38:39]:
  “What do you get when you get two girls, zero funds, and one very expensive weekend? You get the grifters getaway…”

• Shauna Kay [49:39]:
  “The sentiment… could be summed up with those two words: yeah, nah.”

Timestamps at a Glance

• Andrew Lownie Interview (Scandal/Abdication): 00:53–21:34
• Royal Fashion with Plum Sykes: 21:40–33:17
• Tea with Tom (Paula Froehlich/Sussex Commercialism): 33:19–45:59
• Royal Roast (Shauna Kay/Aussie Reaction): 46:18–56:50

Detailed Themes & Insights

• Transparency vs. Tradition: Lownie hammers home that only genuine transparency can save the monarchy’s reputation—yet the institution is “ducking” every chance.
• Cultural Contrast: Whether in fashion (low-key, tradition-bound) or commerce (British/royal resistance to American-style influencer culture), the British royals occupy a strange, contradictory space in modern public life.
• Public Perception: Across all panelists, a sense emerges—both in the UK and Australia—of eroding royal prestige, whether through cover-ups or cashing in.
• Media Savvy vs. Authenticity: The Sussexes’ relentless branding is met with skepticism, especially where their activism appears at odds with their private conduct.

Useful for Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode offers deep, insider-y, and sometimes unvarnished discussion on the British royal family’s present perils—from Prince Andrew fallout, to the king’s accountability, to the pop-culture collision of royal celebrity and commercial ambition. Whether you’re interested in palace intrigue, royal fashion, or global royal perception, the fast pace and punchy tone ensure you’ll get the “real scoop”—with a particular eye toward what’s missing from the official narrative.

Tip: For further details or to keep up with the guests, check out their respective Substacks:

• Andrew Lownie: The Loney Report
• Plum Sykes: PS by Plum Sykes
• Paula Froehlich: Inside Scoop
• Shauna Kay: Red Hot Royal Reveals

End Note:
Episode 1 of The Royalist serves as both a royal news digest and a pointed critique of royal secrecy. By the end, you’ll understand not just what’s happening, but why palace narratives don’t fit the facts—and why, as one guest observes, “The cover up is proving to be as bad as the initial crimes.”