LONDON—In recent days, King Charles III moved decisively to shut down a slow-burning scandal that threatened to tarnish not only his reign but that of his son Prince William.
For over a decade, the former friendship between Charles’s younger brother Andrew and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein generated negative headlines, embarrassing the royal family. Andrew had long denied he abused an American teenage girl introduced to him by Epstein decades ago, but a drumbeat of fresh disclosures in recent weeks brought the scandal back to Britain’s front pages, sparking fresh public disapproval and complaints from lawmakers about the man 8th in line to the throne.
Editors note: There is no pussy in the world worth this, even the smallest part of this. Only an ego that thought he was untouchable caused him to lose control of his dick.
After several days of negotiations, Charles and his brother finally agreed on terms Thursday afternoon, according to royal aides, and within hours the news was made public: Prince Andrew would be stripped of his royal status and relegated to simply Mr. Mountbatten Windsor. He would also lose the mansion where he lived and paid no rent. In exchange, Charles would pay for his brother to live in a far more modest house on the family’s holiday estate of Sandringham.
Despite the move, the debacle is likely to hang over the family for years to come. There has always been salacious gossip about the royal family, and misbehaving royals, but this time it felt much worse.
“I don’t remember a scandal like this,” says Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty magazine. “It’s not going to make it go away, the more people talk about it the more people get involved,” Seward said, adding the last time the monarchy was hit with this level of turmoil was when Charles divorced his first wife, Diana.
The demotion could, however, take the oxygen out of those who criticize the palace for being too lenient in their treatment of Andrew, royal watchers say. “I’m not sure it will completely satisfy the public disquiet but it’s at least something,” Andrew Lownie, the historian and author of “Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York,” told the BBC.
Traditionally, the royal family has a policy of not complaining or explaining when faced with scandal. For years a mixture of protocol and family ties made the monarchy reluctant to fully swing the ax on Andrew, royal experts say. The dashing former helicopter pilot was widely considered his mother’s favorite son and courtiers said Queen Elizabeth II didn’t want to take steps to fully humiliate him. Stripping royal titles was something reserved for those who committed near treasonable offenses or no longer considered part of the extended royal clan.
This position changed after Charles came to the throne. The monarch, who is 76 and continues to fight cancer, is expected to have a relatively short reign during which his main legacy is to bequeath a monarchy on a strong footing to his popular son Prince William, who has long urged the palace to take more decisive action against his disgraced uncle.
It is uncertain what life now awaits Andrew. He is expected to leave his 30-room mansion on the Windsor Estate in the coming months. He has lived there with his ex wife Sarah Ferguson, but she won’t be joining him at Sandringham, leaving her to fend for herself.
The windswept rural Sandringham Estate is a far cry from Windsor, which is close to London. It remains to be seen whether Andrew, who is used to having a full staff and valet, will now be expected to cook his own meals. The palace has simply said that the king will provide for his brother from his private funds.
Two recent events made Andrew’s position untenable. His accuser Virginia Giuffre died by suicide this year, and has posthumously published a memoir in recent weeks detailing how Andrew allegedly had sex with her on three separate occasions, including during an orgy with Epstein. The book was filled with tawdry details, such as an anecdote about how Andrew licked the arches of her feet and shared a bath with her. Secondly, the British press published emails that showed Andrew was emailing Epstein in 2011, well after the royal had claimed he had cut ties with him.
Their parents were cousins, so I’m not surprised at the behavior (or that this is all we know so far). Let’s not forget that Harry gave up a lifetime of fame and money, yachts, Castles, Servants, and the life of luxury, because his American wife felt offended. She went in looking to be offended, and Harry was stupid enough to go along with it and then trash his country. King Chuckles promotes Islam and the climate hoax. A lot of people can’t wait for William to take over. The Queen was so much better than this lot.
I believe the British word is wanker, although on this one it could be plonker.
I guess it’s really tough to be a Royal, if that is what you can call them anymore.
Delusions of Adequacy 