Well, at least someone’s having a worse week than Boris Johnson. For the Queen has announced this afternoon that Prince Andrew has now been stripped of his military affiliations and patronages that meant so much to them both. The news follows a day after an American judge gave the green light for the Duke of York to face a sexual assault civil lawsuit in the States.
The move comes hours after more than 150 military veterans wrote to Her Majesty to ask her to strip Andrew of his honorary military roles amid what they described as their ‘upset and anger.’ The Queen’s statement makes clear that Andrew will ‘continue not to undertake any public duties’ and is defending his ongoing lawsuit as a ‘private citizen.’ Ooft.
Still, Andrew can’t say he hasn’t seen this coming. Since his disastrous Newsnight interview two years ago, nearly 50 organisations have dropped the royal as a patron amid continued questions over his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Groups such as the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Children’s Fund, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, and the Children’s Foundation have all cut ties while Rotherham and University of the West of England have ripped down plaques commemorating past visits.
Still, Mr S has found one place that’s still standing by Andrew. Famously, the Duke of York pub in Fitzrovia still proudly displays his face on their signage, having asked and received the Prince’s approval for this honour back in 2014. It is currently the only known pub to bear the present Duke of York’s image on its sign – an honour which, er, Mr S suspects will not be shared anytime soon.
Andrew’s continual presence there has attracted much comment both on and offline in recent years, with curious tourists popping in to ask about its presence. But when Mr S called up to ask if the pub would be following in the footsteps of those who have purged him, an indignant landlady refused to say whether the sign would go, declaring: ‘I’m not commenting on that. We’re not talking to the press.’
As of today, the sign remains there, defiant to the end. Who knows, maybe Andrew will return the show of loyalty by popping in for a drink? He could probably do with one to be fair.
Comments