Episodes

  • Did Trump take revenge on the King at the White House state dinner?
    Apr 29 2026

    From a White House welcome to the Congress speech and the state dinner, this was supposed to be the day King Charles showed royal symbolism can still carry real diplomatic weight in America. But it didn't quite turn out that way.


    After a big day of pageantry in Washington, the visit took an extraordinary turn at the banquet, when President Donald Trump appeared to suggest that the King backed him on Iran — a remark that's triggered headlines around the world. In response to Trump's comments, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the King is "naturally mindful of his government's long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation".


    In the immediate aftermath, Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by The Times’s assistant US editor David Charter for post-match analysis on the spectacle, the tensions and the question now hanging over the visit: did royal diplomacy win the day, or has Trump seized the final word?


    Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk


    Image: Getty


    Producer: Robert Wallace


    Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia


    Read more: King Charles’ speech to Congress: praise, warnings and 12 standing ovations

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    31 mins
  • Former Trump adviser on the President, the King and a tense state visit
    Apr 28 2026

    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: Getty


    Producer: Robert Wallace


    Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia


    Read more: King Charles is ready for Trump, but would Elizabeth have cancelled?

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    18 mins
  • Virginia Giuffre’s family on her life, legacy and the royal fallout
    Apr 25 2026

    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.uk


    Image: Getty


    Producer: Robert Wallace


    Executive Producer: Dan Box


    Read more: What really happened to Virginia Giuffre?

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    22 mins
  • The Royals in America: the US state visit
    Apr 23 2026
    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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    1 min
  • Queen Elizabeth II: 100 years on - what is her legacy?
    Apr 22 2026

    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.uk


    Image: Getty


    Producer: Robert Wallace


    Executive Producer: Daniel Box

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    30 mins
  • Harry and Meghan in Australia: a 'royal' tour or PR stunt?
    Apr 15 2026

    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.uk


    Image: Getty

    Producer: Robert Wallace

    Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    27 mins
  • “Meet the Epstein survivors” - US congressman to King Charles
    Apr 8 2026

    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.uk


    Image: Getty


    Producer: Robert Wallace


    Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    25 mins
  • Inside Buckingham Palace's new media strategy
    Apr 1 2026

    Buckingham Palace has appointed a royal correspondent as the King’s new press secretary – what does this reveal about how King Charles wants to run his media operation? Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by former palace press secretary Ailsa Anderson to explore what Rhiannon Mills' hire says about Palace communications at a moment of intense scrutiny, faster news cycles and growing pressure.


    So, what should a modern media approach for the monarchy look like? And does the late Queen's “never complain, never explain” mantra still work?


    The US state visit has been confirmed. What issues do you think the King should discuss with President Trump? Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk


    Image: Getty


    Producer: Robert Wallace


    Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    26 mins