TW: mentions of abuse
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Prince Andrew, the third child of Queen Elizabeth II, has been caught in controversy for years now. In 2022, the Prince saw his ‘Royal Highness’ title stripped after what could be considered a disastrous interview with BBC’s Newsnight.
It all started because of Prince Andrew’s alleged ties to sex criminals Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. More specifically, the royal was accused of abuse by Virginia Giuffre while she allegedly was being trafficked by Epstein. Though the Prince has always denied those accusations, he settled the case back in 2022 for an estimated £12 million.
Since then, Prince Andrew has been banned from attending official engagements and has been cast aside from the royal fold. However, more recently he was seen with his family at Sandringham for Christmas. Now his biographer is stating that this possible reconciliation could actually not be anywhere close to happening.
Prince Andrew’s biographer talks about his future
Talking to Daily Express US, Prince Andrew’s biographer Nigel Cawthorne explains that he believes the Prince will always be haunted by his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
He has passed the point of no return and now faces a very dismal, hermit-like future shunned by almost everyone, including members of his own family.
In his exclusive interview with the tabloid Cawthorne responds to a poll published on 14 January and conducted by Sunday Express. In this poll it was made evident that ‘seven out of ten British people want to see Prince Andrew removed from the line of succession to the throne’.
The poll also highlighted the fact that ‘69 percent believe the beleaguered Duke of York should have no further place in the pecking order among senior royals, despite his birthright as the King’s brother.’
Responding to the poll, Cawthorne said:
The mere fact we are even talking about such an extreme measure shows just how low Andrew has sunk in public esteem. The British people have had enough and most now simply want him gone.
According to the biographer’s latest book, Prince Andrew knows deep down that the Epstein related scandal ‘will never, ever go away’. Therefore, he alleges that the Prince’s future could include exile. In his Daily Express US interview, the writer concluded:
He’s destined for a lonely existence well out of public view and it may be that he eventually finds a more peaceful bolt-hole abroad, perhaps in Switzerland or France.
He might need help to do this financially, but he still has a small circle of wealthy friends as well as possibly being able to call on family for assistance. Whichever path he chooses, there’s no way back to the life he once had.
Could Prince Andrew be removed from the line of succession?
This is something the poll from the Sunday Express alludes to but how realistic is it? On top of the poll, Judy Finnigan, in her Express column, suggested that Prince Harry should also be dropped from the line of succession. She bases her statement on another poll conducted in August 2023 for the Daily Mail.
The summer poll unveiled the fact that ‘52 percent of Britons would support Harry being removed from the line of succession’. For this poll, only 1,504 people were sampled.
So, with the topic of the line of succession in the spotlight in the beginning of 2024 thanks to polls, opinions, as well as the King’s health issues, looking at how changes could happen seems important.
First of all, though these articles and opinion pieces make it sound easy to have a royal bumped off the line of succession, it is actually harder to do than expected. For one, King Charles has no power when it comes to it, the decision must be made by Parliament.
The line of succession is established in the law and any changes have to be done through Parliament. For instance in 2013, the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 put a stop to a system of ‘of male primogeniture, under which a younger son can displace an elder daughter in the line of succession’.
So far, such an Act which would remove Prince Andrew and Harry from the line of succession hasn’t been brought forth in Parliament. Do you think it should be?
Read more:
⋙ Epstein's former lawyer Alan Dershowitz reveals Prince Andrew made one 'terrible mistake'
⋙ More bad news for Prince Andrew as witnesses say Epstein had cameras in his home
⋙ Rumours about Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson remarrying emerge: Could it actually happen?
Sources:
Express: Prince Andrew passes 'point of no return' for Royal Family and faces 'hermit-like' future
Express: Prince Andrew poll finds seven in 10 want him out of Royal Family line of succession
Express: POLL: Should Prince Harry be removed from the line of succession?
Express: Harry and his family should be removed from the line of succession, says Judy Finnigan
