“It’s hilarious, but not in a good way.”

Former friends of Prince Harry who played polo with him when they were young have told the Daily Beast that they were left in “horrified hysteria” by the new trailer for his and Meghan Markle’s “cheesy” new Netflix show about polo. A Hollywood executive has warned that the pair are “running out of last chances” to prove they can make compelling TV shows that aren’t about themselves, and speculated their future could lie in social media influence.

The trailer for polo was dropped this week and has been either ignored or ridiculed in the global media, a clear sign that Harry and Meghan’s once shining star appears to be fading.

Although their roles as “executive producers” are highlighted in the full-screen opening credits, there is no appearance from Harry or Meghan in the cheesy trailer.

Instead, the three-minute clip features characters who are largely unknown outside the closed world of elite sport. In a particularly sensitive moment that seems designed to capitalize on the narrative of royal discord, a young player says he will be playing against his father, saying: “I want to win against my father.”

A former friend of Harry’s, who played polo with him as a teenager, said: “It’s hilarious but not in a good way. It’s so cheesy and disgusting, it’s literally the worst thing about polo. I watched it with horrified hysteria.”

Another former friend said: “The irony is that polo is actually a surprisingly inclusive sport these days. You see a lot of rich kids, but there are also a lot of kids from less affluent backgrounds who are just fantastic riders and are sponsored by the teams. It doesn’t look like this show is highlighting that, which is a real missed opportunity.”

A senior Hollywood executive told The Daily Beast: “It looks like it didn’t capture the imagination. They still have Meghan’s cooking show coming up next year, but there’s little tolerance for wasting money these days. It’s questionable whether anyone cares about these two unless they tell outrageous stories about the royals. You are running out of last chances to prove that this is not the case. Failing that, they could try to monetize their fame on social media. A lot of people would still give Harry a million dollars for a position.”

The trailer was ridiculed by celebrities Daily Mail Columnist Liz Jones. Jones has been a Meghan sympathizer for many years, but has recently turned against the duchess.

In one particularly biting comment she says: “What’s next? His own slot on the Shopping Channel? How can Harry and Meghan travel the world preaching about poverty, diversity and inclusion when not a single black player can be spied on? The resources required to run a polo team undoubtedly exceed those of Formula 1. How can they teach us about global warming? if a player admits that he flies to Argentina twice a week?”

Living comfort
King Charles’ new office at Buckingham Palace is in the same rooms where he was born. The Sunday Times reports that Charles has moved his office to the Belgian Suite on the ground floor of the Garden Wing of Buckingham Palace. The suite also includes the Orleans Room, where Charles was born on November 14, 1948.

A friend of the king told this Just: “He is always aware of the importance of history, and the decision to work in the Orleans Room was not made without a half-smile. The King will enjoy the symmetry of carrying out his duties as monarch in the space in which he was born.”

The Just also reports that due to the £369 million ($462 million) renovation, state visits will no longer be held at the palace for the next three years.

The palace says Charles will finance the renovation of his private suite of rooms; The remainder of the palace’s renovation will be paid for by the British taxpayer, with Charles reportedly “adamant that the public purse should not pay for personal details.”

The Just says that Charles sees Buckingham Palace as the “headquarters of the monarchy” but that he and Queen Camilla are both “very comfortable” at nearby Clarence House. “I know he’s not a fan of ‘the big house,’ as he calls the palace,” a source told the newspaper. “He doesn’t see it as a viable future home or a house that serves its purpose in the modern world.”

Another royal source told the newspaper: “It’s certainly true that Camilla doesn’t want to live at Buckingham Palace.”

A friend of the king told this Just: “This is the gradual shift of the monarchy. There was a time when people said, “If the (late) Queen doesn’t live in Buckingham Palace, what’s the point of Buckingham Palace?” The King is clear that it will continue to be the headquarters of the monarchy , with the advantage of being able to open it up in the future and make it even more accessible to the public – that’s a win-win situation.”

Camilla’s long recovery

Queen Camilla’s decision to skip this week’s Royal Variety Performance was due to a “persistent” chest infection, palace sources told the Daily Beast. She appears to have been suffering since returning from the royal tour over three weeks ago. The decision to cancel is unlikely to have been taken lightly by the palace, as it is well aware of the optics of an ailing, aging monarchy. King Charles is 76 and Camilla is 77.

However, Camilla personally may not have been too upset about missing out on the famously mediocre live show, which this year featured luminaries such as Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas. A friend told us: “That’s not exactly her thing.” .”

Gladiator and king

Irishman Paul Mescal asked at the premiere of Gladiator II As for what it was like to meet the king, he sighed and said dryly, “I mean, that’s definitely not something I thought was on the bingo cards. I’m Irish so it’s not on the priority list. But for Ridley (Scott) it’s an amazing thing because I know how important this is to him.”

The Irish times praised Mescal for his measured response as a skilled diplomat.

This week in royal history
On November 26, 1992, the British government announced that Queen Elizabeth II had voluntarily agreed to pay taxes on her personal income.

Unanswered questions

Do Harry and Meghan have a future in Hollywood? When will Camilla be well enough to return to duty?