Prince Andrew’s role in the royal family has completely changed since the Jeffrey Epstein scandal broke last year. Andrew’s connection to the convicted sex offender was bad enough. But, his disastrous interview on the BBC – where he seemingly had no regrets about his relationship with Epstein – sealed his fate as a senior royal. The Duke of York stepped down from his royal duties in November. And now, a new report claims it’s only a “matter of time” before Andrew loses his HRH title.
An MP’s wife tell-all diary reveals how ‘excruciating’ Prince Andrew can be
Sasha Swire, the wife of Tory MP Sir Hugo Swire, is a British journalist who recently released a tell-all diary about the UK’s elite ruling class. In Diary of an MP’s Wife: Inside and Outside Power, Swire recalls an official dinner in 2011.
According to The Daily Mail, the book details Swire’s encounter with Prince Andrew at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland. She describes Andrew giving an “excruciating” diatribe about “how brilliant he was” during the dinner.
Swire also remembers Andrew talking about how desperate he was for his daughters – Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – to have significant roles in the royal family. She says it was clear there was a power struggle between Andrew and Prince Charles.
“I have to say, Prince Andrew chairing the round the table discussion is excruciatingly painful to watch,” Swire writes. “‘I sat there trying to listen to how brilliant he was when all I am seeing is him in swimming shorts, attending topless pool parties at Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion.”
Prince Andrew will have a limited role in Prince Philip’s 100th birthday celebration
Prince Philip will turn 100 in June 2021, and the palace is already preparing a celebration to commemorate the milestone. However, Express reports that the Duke of Edinburgh has made the painful decision to “play down” Prince Andrew’s role in the royal family.
Even though Prince Philip is “extremely fond” and “proud” of his second-oldest son, he knows Andrew’s name is currently “poison.” Nigel Cawthorne, author of Prince Andrew, Epstein, and the Palace, says that the decision to cut Andrew from the birthday celebration was all about “the survival of the monarchy.”
After it was reported that Andrew would be included “as little as possible” in the celebration, Cawthorne called the decision “one of the toughest” Prince Philip has ever had to make. If Andrew is not by his dad’s side during the celebration, he says it will be an “enormous blow.”
“It is a poignant moment and the loss of Prince Andrew’s HRH title is highly likely merely a matter of time now,” Cawthorne said.
The monarchy will be on its ‘last legs’ within a decade, claim royal experts
Between Prince Andrew’s connection to Jeffrey Epsten and Prince Harry’s decision to step down as a senior royal with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, experts warn that the royal family could be in trouble.
As explained by Express, Queen Elizabeth, 94, has been the central figure of the British royal family for almost 70 years. But, when she retires or passes away, the monarchy could be facing extinction.
Currently, the majority of UK citizens support the queen and the monarchy. According to a recent YouGov poll of 3,000 Brits, 62 percent believed the monarchy should remain. But, Dr. Anna Whitelock, a royal history expert, says the support is linked to Queen Elizabeth, not the monarchy itself.
She warns that by 2030, the institution could be on its “last legs.” Dr. Whitelock explained that as the older generations who generally approve of the monarchy “die out,” the future of the monarchy will be in question.
“I would definitely say that the monarchy – its purpose, what it’s about, will be questioned and challenged in a way that it hasn’t been before,” Dr. Whitelock said.
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