Fifteen women and counting press Prince Andrew under political and social pressure. United States Congress members are invoking his testimony to answer for the late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s goings-on. The federal investigation into Epstein’s vast criminal enterprise and global connections continues. Considered generally, it brought intense nationwide focus because of the key players—celebrities as well as renowned academic institutions—involved. Interestingly, Prince Andrew had still not responded to the congressional request when the deadline expired last month.
The inquiry into Epstein’s activities has reignited scrutiny over Prince Andrew’s past associations. Recently emerged pictures portray him in a difficult situation. He is sprawled across the laps of five women at Sandringham during a family party in December 2000. This event has been reported as connected to Ghislaine Maxwell’s 39th birthday party. It furthers to embed Prince Andrew into the narrative of that Epstein and Maxwell history.
June 2000 Prince Andrew drew criticism when he invited close friend Jeffrey Epstein to Ladies’ Day at Ascot. He invited personal friend Ghislaine Maxwell to join him as a guest. The day was marked by the presence of many prominent figures, including the Queen and the Queen Mother. Their appearance alone raised serious questions about Prince Andrew’s longstanding association with Epstein and Maxwell. Royal biographer Tina Brown calls Prince Andrew an “idiot.” She argues that he’s a “useful” one, for injecting his support of a tomblike figure easily malleable to open doors to elite circles.
Andrew Lownie, in his book “Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York,” characterizes Prince Andrew as “easy prey for a rattlesnake like Epstein.” Lownie shows us the way Epstein masterfully exploited Andrew’s bitterness over being the royal family’s spare heir. Epstein exploited those sentiments to groom him even more deeply. Especially since Epstein’s allegations are of a very serious and egregious nature, the implications of these relationships have faced fierce public outcry.
Prince Andrew has vehemently denied having had sex with Virginia Giuffre. She is one of the most well known alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein. Yet, his connections with Epstein and Maxwell are still at the top of dangerous associations list. Image from the Sandringham event, with Prince Andrew, Ghislaine Maxwell and 6 women. Their identities are unknown, which only deepens the complexity of his tale.
The ties that bind Prince Andrew and Epstein are deep. According to those same reports, Epstein and Maxwell made repeated trips to the United Kingdom to visit Prince Andrew. Their annual visits would give them “platinum access” to most of the most important and influential people in British society. This closeness has sparked fears over the nature of their relationship and possible impact on the royal family.
Epstein had flown Prince Andrew to the different international markets. In every stop, governments were eager to sit down with him to discuss opportunities for investment. Epstein was the U.S. economic advisory on these trips, an indicator of the enormous trust granted to Epstein. This proneness to reliance complicates Prince Andrew’s defense to underlying allegations that continue apace.
As the pressure mounts, Prince Andrew has reportedly agreed to relocate to a privately-owned home on the Sandringham estate next year. This move comes after his eviction from his long-term home, a direct result of his links to Epstein and Maxwell.