Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has finally officially stepped down from his role as a working royal. This decision is a big move both personally for him and constitutionally as a member of the British royal family. After 10 years of scandal and family squabbling, he’s about to become just Prince Andrew. This change represents a tremendous break from the life he previously enjoyed. Today, he wrestles with living in radically changed circumstances, outside the royal orbit.
The last few years have already been rocky ones for Prince Andrew. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, provided cover for him from the aftermath of one debacle after another. Now, she’s passed, leaving him without her support or assistance to help pay off his loans. As a result, he has faced a financial situation worsened by the lack of royal patronage. Though he may have yet formally lost his dukedom, he has elected to stop using their titles. This decision drives him even more deeply into the savagery of his fallen condition.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will not have to go by any other titles—they’ll remain princesses. This closeness to the royal family is a stark difference to the widening gap that their father, Prince Andrew, has made. This decision further exposes a generational divide in the royal family and is testament to the change in Prince Andrew’s fortunes.
For decades, Prince Andrew had tried to find his place amongst some of the richest people on earth, like Arab and American billionaires. The reality of his financial condition has landed him in a much humbler world. Observations indicate that he has failed to qualify for public matching funds over the last six years. Upon learning that none would be available, he has largely had to finance himself and through private measures.
Though his star went dim, Prince Andrew is still a source of fascination. His memoirs, serialized in The Guardian, provide a glimpse into what might be the most important and transformative elements of his thinking. He has the danger of even more unknown revelations to come. Future releases of Epstein files and other related documents here on US soil could yield shocking new developments. Relying on these would be akin to stacking even more blockades in front of his already-precarious situation.
Prince Andrew, it’s been reported, spends his days watching golf on TV. He has been portrayed as enjoying increasingly lonely rides in Windsor Great Park far away from his family and royal obligations. He has announced he will be going to church with the rest of the royal family at Sandringham this Christmas. This decision underscores the increasing boldness of his breach from royal convention.
Against the backdrop of these tumultuous events, one cannot discount the tendency for Virginia Giuffre’s shadow to linger. She has thus far denied Prince Andrew the satisfaction of her bringing down a prince while still alive. Her allegations against him are still an important part of his deniable narrative arc, one that he’s still vigorously fighting on.
The conclusion of Prince Andrew’s long-running saga seems to be coming to an end after many years of behind the scenes maneuvering in the family. He’s made several attempts at rehabilitation, and most of them have blown up in his face.
Bridgewater’s biggest blindside Many critics note that he fails to relate with others. As noted in Andrew Lownie’s book “Entitled,” one former date remarked on his need for validation:
“It struck me how impressed he was with who he is, or how impressed he wanted others to be. Every joke always ended with: ‘because I’m the Duke of York’. He tells the most pathetic jokes. He finds poo cushions funny.” – Andrew Lownie
This throwaway line captures much of the difficulty Prince Andrew will soon experience, as he attempts to adjust to life out of the royal bubble. So the question is, can he adapt to this new reality? He needs to do it absent of the titles and trappings that have long surrounded his ego.