Pressure continues to grow on Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, following allegations he told paedophile Jeffrey Epstein they were “in this together” in an email
Prince Andrew has been encouraged to “take a long hard look in the mirror” and “make the right choice for once” to salvage his reputation.
It emerged this week the Duke of York, 65, allegedly told Jeffrey Epstein they were “in this together” in an email sent after he claimed to have cut contact with the paedophile. Andrew has faced more criticism following the leaks, which again shed further light on his relationship with the disgraced financier.
The consequences of the latest bombshell could include the Duke banned from hosting shooting parties on royal estates, such as Balmoral and Sandringham, and other “fun activities,” we reported. However, royal experts have today argued father-of-two Andrew could help salvage his – and the Royal Family’s – reputation by taking steps quickly.
“It’s time he accepted some responsibility. I know he’s used to hot and cold running staff, but Charles III is not Andrew’s butler. If he has any affection or respect for his family and for the monarchy, if he cares even in the slightest about protecting the legacy of his late mother, he would go without being pushed,” Sarah Vine, a newspaper columnist, has argued today.
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Pressure has mounted on Andrew to act, particularly with the understanding Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is expected to lead “huge change” during his monarchy. William, 43, recently said on a podcast: “I enjoy that change. I don’t fear it, that’s the bit that excites me, the idea of being able to bring some change.”
Although he didn’t refer to anyone – or anything – in particular in the chat with Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy, the future king’s words have led to chatter among riyal experts. In her latest Daily Mail column, journalist Ms Vine added: “If the Andrew situation isn’t resolved while his kind, rather gentle, indulgent and thoughtful brother is in charge, it will have to be resolved under King Charles’s successor. I can’t say for certain, of course, but I don’t imagine Prince William – or for that matter, the Princess of Wales – has much time for friends and associates of known sex traffickers. And given that they have decided to make Windsor their ‘forever home’, are they really going to tolerate Bad Uncle Andrew living it up next door?
“Fundamentally, though, Andrew must understand that for him, the game is finally up. He has disgraced himself to the point where his very existence has become a liability to the Royal Family. For a long while his doting mother protected him from the consequences of his mistakes. But sadly, she is no more. He has to go.
“He can either carry on acting like the arrogant, deluded toff he’s been all his life, or take a long hard look in the mirror, and make the right choice for once.”
Prince Andrew has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
