It should have been a jubilee year for the House of Windsor. February will mark the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth II’s succession to the throne. No other crowned head in British history has ever succeeded in celebrating such a day, a “platinum anniversary”. The preparations for the celebrations in honor of the 95-year-old monarch are already in full swing.
But a heavy shadow is cast over the festive mood. Ironically, the Queen’s favorite son, Prince Andrew, is now becoming a real problem for the royal family. Recently, British war veterans have been demanding that Andrew hand over his remaining military honorary titles to various units so as not to “spoil their proud history”. Even charities and other associations that once adorned themselves with his name no longer want to tolerate him as a patron.
At court, according to the loyal London Times, it is already being discussed how Andrew could be deprived of the title of Duke of York which his mother had given him “if his situation deteriorated further”. A caricature in the newspaper at the end of the year showed that Andrew was up to his neck.
The reason for the renewed alarm mood is the recent conviction of Andrew’s long-time friend Ghislaine Maxwell in New York for trafficking minors for the purpose of sexual abuse of young girls. Maxwell was working hand in hand with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was also a friend of Andrew’s, the court found.
Connection to Epstein
Meanwhile, one of the women, who obviously belonged to the ring of sex slaves Epstein and Maxwell, has brought an action for damages against Andrew himself. Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre, accuses the prince of having been sexually abused by him three times as a 17-year-old.
It was “made available” to the Queen’s son in 2001 at three different locations by Epstein, Giuffre said on record. And Andrew always knew that this was against her will and that she was a minor.
The prince denies this and doesn’t want to be able to remember “the lady” at all. His lawyers are still hoping that Giuffre’s trial, which is expected to take place in the autumn, can be stopped at the last minute.
On Tuesday, the responsible New York judge Lewis Kaplan should decide whether the trial of Andrew should take place. The Prince’s attorneys argue that Virginia Giuffre has already forfeited her right to trial through a confidential indemnity agreement with Epstein. And that a trial in New York is otherwise nonsense – because Giuffre has lived in Australia for a long time and no longer in the USA.
Even his previous close connection with Epstein and with the recently convicted Ghislaine Maxwell is now seriously troubling Andrew. A notorious photo in which he puts his hand around the waist of young Virginia Roberts also shows Maxwell, who is the host of the meeting, in the background.
Several witnesses claim to have seen Andrew in Epstein’s private jet, the so-called Lolita Express. A witness is also said to have recognized the prince on the evening in question when he was with Roberts at London’s “Tramp” nightclub – while Andrew said he was with his daughters in a pizzeria that evening and then at home.
Should Judge Kaplan allow the trial today, Andrew could ultimately be forced to testify under oath. So far, he has strictly denied all allegations against him.
Damage to the royal family
He only admitted that his previous connection with Epstein “has become a major disruptive factor for my family’s work” in recent years. Even if the prince were spared the trial, the damage that has already been done to the Windsors is considerable – and the Queen, according to all London court correspondents, is in an “impossible” situation.
But if the trial actually comes about and Andrew is ultimately sentenced to pay damages, he would find himself convicted of a crime, at least in the United States. It would be best for the 61-year-old if he immediately and forever “disappeared into a kind of internal exile” in Windsor, advisors to the royal family have made it clear.
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