It is tempting to imagine Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson enduring a mutually resentful existence in Royal Lodge. Like an aristocratic version of Roald Dahl’s The Twits, perhaps. Or, to be vulgar, one might call them The Twats instead. The less-than-grand old Duke of York has now spent several years beset by stories linking him to disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, and there seems to be no way back for him in any kind of public role. Yet, at the beginning of the week, he might have thought the tide had turned for a couple of days. For once, it was Fergie who was bearing the brunt of deeply unflattering headlines when it emerged that, after publicly denouncing Epstein as a sex offender in 2011, she had sent him a grovelling email describing him as a ‘steadfast, generous and supreme friend’.
Prince Andrew has now spent several years beset by stories linking him to Jeffrey Epstein, and there seems to be no way back
If Andrew was chuckling into his cornflakes at the thought someone else was taking the flak for once, his schadenfreude would have been short-lived. Last night, newly-released documents showed that 25 years ago the duke had not only been a passenger on Epstein’s private plane – the so-called ‘Lolita Express’ due to the number of young girls recorded flying on it – but had enjoyed such treats as ‘massage, exercise and yoga’ at a cost of $200. The documents, which were released by the US House oversight committee, have mainly been redacted save for the names of ‘Andrew’ and those of the company he kept, including Epstein and the convicted pimp Ghislaine Maxwell. The duke, who has so far not commented on the latest reports, has always denied wrongdoing. But the latest revelations are deeply unedifying at best, and potentially criminal at worst.
Is Prince Andrew likely to face the humiliation of going on trial? Unlikely: even if he is subpoenaed to appear in a US court to testify about his precise involvement with Epstein, he can (and undoubtedly would) decline the invitation. That would, in turn, make bringing any charges against him essentially impossible. Yet, avoiding the punishment that was meted out to Maxwell is the only crumb of consolation Andrew can enjoy in his deeply compromised situation. He is the least popular member of the Royal Family by a country mile – he makes Meghan Markle look like peak ‘Princess of Hearts’ Diana by comparison – and every time he appears in public, his popularity ratings spiral into yet more negative territory. People do not like Prince Andrew, and they are unafraid to make it very clear.
The Duchess of York, meanwhile, is unlikely to be more beloved in the future. Her spokesman has said she sent her email to Epstein in response to a defamation threat. You can attempt to excuse, if not condone, her actions by saying they were dictated by panic and poor advice, and there might be something in that. Yet, the fact multiple charities have now dumped her as patron or ambassador means that the one-time goofy-but-loveable old Fergie is now forever besmirched by association – both with Epstein and her former husband. The notorious sex criminal is, at least, long dead, whereas Andrew remains live, kicking and resentful at the ordure that has been thrown at him.
At this point, it is surely inevitable that there are yet more damning documents to emerge from the Epstein files. (Delightfully, Elon Musk has also been named in the latest tranche of papers – all the more piquant because of his mic-drop of a claim after he left government in June that Donald Trump was implicated in the files. The Tesla billionaire is also yet to comment on last night’s reports, but has previously said he declined an invitation to Epstein’s private island.) Both the Yorks could yet be further implicated in deeply unpleasant activity.
What more can the Royal Family actually do with the disgraced duo? Short of being imprisoned in the Tower of London or put in the stocks, the pair cannot be kept any further away from the ‘core royals’ than they already are. Prince William is believed to despise his uncle and wishes to see him cast out of Royal Lodge – difficult but probably doable when you become king. However, short of turning the pair into plain old Mr and Ms Windsor, stripped of money, titles and any fig-leaf covering of royal association, it is hard to see what else can be done.
The success of Donald Trump’s state visit, which saw the King, Queen, and Prince and Princess of Wales at their best with the world watching, has swiftly been overshadowed by this latest embarrassment. The Yorks’ antics have long had a toxic effect on the whole institution of the monarchy. The suspicion remains that we have not heard the last of this ineffably sordid story, either.
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