# The King courts Europe and MPs investigate Crown Estate

An episode of [The Royals](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1745117658), 6 Dec 2025, 26 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/662f8689e9f4880011c29f68/e/692eda30cf82db056a785c8e/media.mp3

This week, King Charles hosts German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a diplomatically significant state visit at Windsor Castle, reaffirming ties between the UK and Europe. But as the pageantry unfolded, Parliament announced a formal inquiry into the Crown Estate. Following revelations over Andrew’s lease deal at Royal Lodge, other royal properties are now under a new level of scrutiny. Kate and Roya are joined by Times reporter Tom Witherow and German royal expert Annelie Malun to unpack a week of ceremony, soft power and hard questions. Presenters: Roya Nikkhah, royal editor for The Sunday Times, and Kate Mansey, royal editor of The Times Contributors: Tom Witherow, senior news reporter at The Times, and Annelie Malun, royal expert for ARD Producer: Robert Wallace Editor: Stephen Titherington Image: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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