I clearly remember my disbelief and jaw-dropping amazement as I read a transcript of Prince Andrew’s car crash Newsnight interview nearly six years ago. I was in New Zealand, on tour with the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, and the interview was yet to be broadcast.
When it did, due to the time difference with the UK, Prince Charles was, I’m told, on the phone through the night to the late Queen, her private secretary and Prince William discussing how to deal with the disastrous fallout.
Prince Andrew’s friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, had become a problem far before 2019. He was pictured in New York in 2010 with Epstein (and stayed at his house for at least five days) after the financier was convicted of sex trafficking crimes. He would later tell Emily Maitlis he’d gone to see him as it was the ‘honorable thing to do’ to break off the friendship in person.
Between 2010 and 2019 the headlines got worse and worse for ‘Randy Andy’ (the name, the press dubbed him) although Andrew has always denied any allegations against him. Virginia Giuffre claimed she’d been trafficked to sleep with him on three occasions (including once in London), she sued him in the US and settled in 2022 for an estimated £12million of the late Queen’s cash, reportedly so as not to distract from her Diamond Jubilee. Epstein was rearrested and committed suicide in prison, while Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking and Andrew was sacked from his job as UK trade envoy.
After the Newsnight interview, Andrew was forced to step back from royal life and relinquish his patronages and military appointments. But, despite being found guilty in the court of public opinion, he couldn’t help himself. The sensible course of action would have been to keep his head down and devote himself to good works. But then I have never met anyone who has met or worked with Prince Andrew who has a good word to say about him.
‘Pompous’ ‘entitled’ and ‘bufoonish’ are just three of the more polite adjectives I’ve heard. Instead, he wanted royal rehabilitation. And I was rather shocked that it was King Charles who delivered this rather than the late Queen (it’s true he was always her favourite).
The King invited Andrew to join the family on the public walk to church on Christmas day in 2022, and then again with ex-wife Fergie in 2023. She was welcomed back into the fold with invitations to receptions at Buckingham Palace and Andrew was invited to family services such as the annual Easter service at St George’s Chapel as well as the Garter Day lunch.
I know Charles wanted to be kind and, as one courtier told me, ‘you can’t divorce your brother.’ But by this stage, the US justice department had not only formally subpoenaed Andrew to talk to them (surprise, surprise, he never did), but had started a huge investigation into the ‘Epstein files’: the ring of rich and powerful men who had been ensnared by sex with underage, abused and trafficked girls.
More details were always going to come out - and they did. The latest move from the palace, telling Andrew he could no longer use his Duke of York titles or honours, came as the King was criticised for being weak after Andrew was revealed to have lied in cutting off contact with Epstein and the Metropolitan police launched an investigation into his 2011 request to ‘dig up dirt’ on Giuffre. Crucially he hasn’t been stripped of his titles - he’s just agreed not to use them. And he and Fergie have not been forthcoming when it comes to moving out of their 30-room Royal Lodge where they pay nominal rent Instead, requesting that if they are to leave the residence, they require two properties in exchange.
And, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of this. I fear more will come out, making Andrew’s denials look even more paper thin. Prince William wants this sorted during his father’s reign as he understandably views his errant uncle as a risk to the monarchy. Now, Parliament has got involved, with the Prime Minister saying he supports an investigation. It’s dangerous times for the King as this overshadows all his good work. He hasn’t gone far enough and I firmly believe that more needs to be done. Watch this space…
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