The Royals and Andrew... Why?

Trump’s ego-manic, Epstein-generated war on Iran has temporarily taken the heat out of the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince) story but hopefully it will gain rapid momentum again.

Andrew’s sheer awfulness is now apparent to everyone and his arrest for conduct unbecoming when a UK trade envoy was inevitable when more Epstein files were released. It was clear he had breached a whole hatful of stuff simply because he thought himself, as he always has, above mere rules because he was a Royal.

You only have to read Andrew Lownie’s latest book, Entitled, to see just how awful Andrew - and his wife Sarah Ferguson - have been all their lives. Page after staggering page littered with this hideous pair poncing money, holidays, favours and God-knows what else off of everyone from Sheiks and the media to dodgy foreign government heads for years and years. It seems their children, Eugenie and Beatrice, are both wrapped up in the sad, grabbing sagas too.

Andrew Lownie's book - Entitled

Andrew deserves everything that might come to him in time and, hopefully, that will include full redress for his Epstein follies which will give all those trafficked children at least some justice. We shall see - never underestimate the power of the Royal Family to ensure their dirty laundry is kept well out of public sight.

Which brings us to what did and does the Royal Family know about the whole Andrew affair with Epstein. Charles notched some apparent kudos when he issued a statement when Andrew was arrested (not even saying he was his brother) stressing that the law must take its course. How wonderful, the Royalists and the arse-licking media commentators spouted, our King is on the side of Right and above the fray. The statement reassured his subjects that the Royal Family remained dedicated to the service of the Nation.

But what about an earlier statement from Buckingham Palace - when Andrew was first stripped of his titles etc? Issued on 30 October 2025, it make interesting reading:

His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.

Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continuesto deny the allegations against him. 

Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.

OK - Andrew is publicly reduced and shamed… but the question, and the question completely unanswered in the statement is …why?

Andrew has always strongly denied any misdeeds over Epstein issues and continued his denials even though ‘he paid’ the now deceased Virginia Guiffre c £12million in an out of court settlement.  ‘He paid’ reflects the continuing belief that all or much of the dosh was coughed up by the late Queen Elizabeth for her ‘favorite child’.

So, if Andrew says he has done no wrong, and no statement from the King or the Palace then or since has contradicted that, then why was the Royal Family’s black sheep stripped of his offices and bling?  A move so unheard of for the Royals to make surely would require some admittance of wrong-doing? Not just embarrassment at terrible headlines and public outrage.

What all this really reveals is that the Royal Family, even back before Queen Elizabeth died, knew far, far more about what Andrew had got up to with Epstein, sexually or otherwise, and it has systematically failed the Nation and, more importantly the girls involved, by not coming clean and so helping to turn Andrew over to justice.

In recent times, spurred on by the Andrew affair, the Royal Family has come under much greater public scrutiny and its very future is being called into question far more seriously than ever before. In a recent debate in Parliament, MP after MP skewered Andrew and his character in an unprecedented public show of revulsion.

As a Republican, I welcome the drip drip drip of the ends of time running out on the Royal Family - an institution completely  without justification in the modern world. But, Republican or no, it is high time the King and his Family did the right thing - in the name of decency - and told all about what they knew and know about Andrew and his Epstein past.

• Entitled by Andrew Lownie is published by William Collins