Andrew has been stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles by King Charles this week over his connections to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor repeatedly blocked statements expressing support for abuse survivors, it has been alleged.
The monarch’s brother was stripped of his prince and Duke of York titles by the King over his connections to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday. Charles and the Queen publicly expressed their “thoughts and utmost sympathies” with “the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse” as part of the announcement.
A confidant of the King and Camilla revealed to The Sunday Times that mentions of victims were struck from all previous statements prepared by palace officials and released by Buckingham Palace following Andrew’s catastrophic Newsnight interview in 2019.
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All such correspondence had needed Andrew’s approval, the newspaper reported.
The former prince denies sexually assaulting the late Virginia Giuffre, who claimed this occurred on three occasions, including when she was 17, after being trafficked by Epstein.
The confidant told the newspaper the King had “lost patience” and his statement announcing the stripping of Andrew’s prince and Duke of York titles was “no longer a statement by committee, it’s a statement from the King”.
They said there had long been a feeling within the Royal family that “voices of the victims needed to be heard in these pronouncements, because they feature so heavily in this saga” and because it impacts the credibility of the Queen and the Duchess of Edinburgh’s work campaigning against sexual abuse. A mate of the Royal family revealed that the King and Queen are well aware of the public’s sentiment towards Andrew, stating: “They have felt the public anger and they have acted”.
In 2019, Andrew declared his withdrawal from public duties following his Newsnight interview. He expressed in a statement that Epstein’s suicide left many unanswered questions for “his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure”.
However, the Palace’s 2022 announcement regarding Andrew’s loss of military affiliations and Royal patronages, as well as his most recent statement on October 17, where he vowed to cease using his Duke of York title, made no reference to abuse survivors.
Buckingham Palace chose not to comment.
Simultaneously, there is mounting pressure on Andrew to testify before a formidable US Congressional committee. Members of the House Oversight Committee are urging the former prince to disclose what he knew about Epstein’s actions.
Democrat Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi told BBC Newsnight that he wants Andrew to testify before Congress, stating: “I would go so far as to subpoena him.”
He further added: “Now, enforcing the subpoenas is not easy for somebody who’s on foreign soil. However, if Andrew wishes to come to the United States or he’s here, then he’s subject to the jurisdiction of the US Congress, and I would expect him to testify.”
Congressman Suhas Subramanyam voiced his opinion on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, stating: “I think this would be a great way for Andrew to clear his name.
“It would be great way for us to continue our pursuit of justice for the victims, and frankly, Andrew’s name has come up many times from the victims, and so he clearly has knowledge of what happened, and we just want him to come forward and tell us what he knows.”
Spencer Kuvin, a solicitor representing some of Epstein’s victims, also encouraged Andrew to give evidence. He told BB News: “He could testify about other potential co-conspirators that he saw that may have been present at the mansions here in the States that were doing inappropriate activities.”
The Metropolitan Police has been under pressure to fully investigate the sex abuse allegations against Andrew – nearly ten years after they dismissed a criminal investigation.
A spokesperson for the Met Police stated it was made aware of allegations around non-recent trafficking for sexual exploitation in 2015 which “related to events outside the UK and an allegation of trafficking to central London in March 2001”.
They added that following legal advice, “it was clear that any investigation into human trafficking would be largely focused on activities and relationships outside the UK”, so officers concluded that “other jurisdictions and organisations were better placed to pursue the specific allegations”.
In November 2016, it was decided that this matter would not proceed to a full criminal investigation, according to the police force.
The spotlight remains on Royal Lodge as Andrew prepares to vacate the 30-room Windsor home and relocate to a new residence on the King’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk in the new year.
On Saturday morning, a vehicle with a private number plate associated with the former prince was spotted exiting the grounds of Windsor Great Park. It’s been suggested that Andrew is set to receive a six-figure sum and an annual payment as part of his “relocation settlement” after being ousted from his Crown Estate home.
The Guardian newspaper reported that the ex-prince will receive a one-off payment to cover his move, followed by a regular allowance to prevent him from “overspending in his new life as a commoner”. The paper added that the yearly payment, privately funded by the King, would be worth several times his £20,000-a-year Navy pension.
It’s understood that the King will use private funds to cover the cost, but not his Duchy of Lancaster income.
The King receives an annual private income of more than £27 million from the duchy, an ancient portfolio of land, property and assets held in trust for the sovereign. However, Andrew will be denied most of his half a million pound compensation for relinquishing his lease on Royal Lodge.
He was set to receive a payout of £558,000 from the Crown Estate after agreeing to vacate the mansion, but a Royal insider told The Telegraph that there is “a lot of work that needs doing”, with the cost of repairs impacting the final amount.
