Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, acknowledges his diminished status in the British royal family. Prince Harry is preparing for life beyond the monarchy. Virginia Giuffre’s memoir will be published posthumously later this year. This acceptance comes just as the release of her book is set to overshadow her allegations against him. The royal family has reportedly pressured him to relinquish his titles, a move that reflects the monarchy’s desire to distance itself from his controversial history.
The latest twist has been the revelation that Prince Andrew continued to associate with Jeffrey Epstein up until February 2011. This is in direct conflict with his previous statements that he severed connections in December 2010. This announcement has increased the pressure on him to explain those past ties. As a consequence, senior royals are causing a great deal of understandable embarrassment to him forcing pressure upon him to retire from public life.
Prince Andrew will not participate in the royal family’s Christmas celebrations this year. In a major break with precedent, this is a big deal. His absence merely serves to highlight the chasm of unaccountability he has gouged between himself and the institution. Moreover, it exposes the conclusive mark left by his relationship to Epstein and the ensuing public scandal.
Yet, he has strongly fought every effort to renounce his dukedom. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, granted him this honorific title on his wedding day in 1986. The royal family strikes an impressive note of unity in support of their position. They argue a clean break is necessary to protect the monarchy’s reputation.
Prince Andrew has long denied having the sort of relationship Giuffre has alleged. In his defense, he doggedly insists that he didn’t sleep with her. He’s claiming under oath that they never even met — despite paying millions to settle a civil sexual assault case out of court.
Newly-released emails show a much more intimate and involved relationship existed between Prince Andrew and Epstein than was ever admitted before. One such email exchange apparently has this mayor reassuring his staff in an email that they were “in this together.” This phrase has new, ominous undertones as public scrutiny of Andrew’s history continues to increase.
“in this together” – The Guardian
The microscope on Prince Andrew intensified even more when he was tied to a China-related collapsed cancer-spy case. In 2018, he welcomed Cai Qi to Buckingham Palace for a banquet. Cai Qi, a prominent member of China’s high-level Politburo and closely involved in the explosive scandal, has only fueled toxic headlines harmful to the royal family, and indeed the institution of monarchy itself.
The chaos around Prince Andrew’s bad reputation has led to conversations about his position in the royal family. He remains a prince and is eighth in line to the throne. His place under the institution’s roof is increasingly tenuous. Unconfirmed reports suggest that he will suspend his lofty ceremonial position as Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter. This unexpected move will further his distance from royal duties.
Given these changes, there’s a growing clamor for Prince Andrew to take the “honourable” course of action. They’re tired of the mainstream media demanding that he retreat entirely from public life. The internal dynamics within the royal family reflect a collective strategy to mitigate damage caused by his actions and associations over the years.