Prince Andrew. Another day, another colossal shit show.
The latest revelations that the ostracised royal continued emailing Jeffrey Epstein months after claiming to have severed ties with him, should be the final straw. And yet, days have passed since the emails came to light, and it’s still crickets from the King.
This latest news isn’t shocking, but it is damning.
The alleged emails published by UK tabloids show Andrew corresponding with Epstein the day after incriminating photos of him and Virgina Giuffre–who claims to have been sexually assaulted by Andrew– were published.
In the message, the Duke reportedly wrote: “I’m just as concerned for you! Don’t worry about me!
“It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it.
“Otherwise keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”
He is said to have signed off with “A, HRH The Duke of York, KG”.
Giuffre, who was just 17 at the time she met Andrew, was a victim of Epstein’s abuse network. Writing about her encounter with the Duke in her memoir, she suggested “He was friendly enough, but still entitled – as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright,”
Andrew, for his part, has denied the allegations, but paid Giuffre millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022. He has never sat before a court, never been cross-examined, and never truly been held to account.
He also continues to enjoy the protection of the Crown.
After his disastrous 2019 BBC interview, in which he claimed he couldn’t sweat and suggested visiting Pizza Express as his alibi, Andrew was forced to step back from royal duties. But that was the extent of his public punishment. And “stepping back,” is not removal. He still holds the title of Duke of York, lives in a royal residence, and enjoys the safeguard that comes with all of that.
Andrew remains cushioned by royal privilege, protected by the same institution that continues to insist it represents moral leadership and modern values.
For all its claims of “modernising,” the royal family’s handling of Andrew reveals its persistent hypocrisy. The Palace has been shrewd in managing its optics on everything from sustainability to mental health. But when it comes to confronting sexual misconduct and abuse of power? It’s very much a “nothing to see here” mentality.
The contrast with the treatment of Meghan Markle could not be more grating. Markle was, and continues to be, vilified by the tabloids and left unsupported by the institution she married into, all for the crime of being outspoken, mixed-race, and unwilling to conform.
But when it comes to Andrew, a man tied to one of history’s most prolific sexual predators, there’s been no royal statement, let alone a public reckoning.
If the monarchy has any hope of staying relevant in a 21st-century world, Andrew has to go. Not quietly, but publicly and decisively. That means stripping him of his titles. Evicting him from royal estates. Ending his access to taxpayer-funded security and privileges. Anything less is complicity.
The Palace’s next moves will determine what the institution stands for. A force for good or simply the preservation of tradition and wealth. Holding Andrew to account is the only right call.
And God knows that every victim of Epstein, and his handbook of abusers, deserves that.