The royal family let the world think that “Randy Andy” divorced Fergie to prevent her from bringing it into disrepute. Now comes this:
The Queen summoned Prince Andrew to Buckingham Palace to strip him of his royal duties, it is claimed.
Prince Andrew last night announced he was stepping back from public life in a move that followed a ‘car crash’ BBC interview in which he tried to clear his name over criticism of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement, Andrew said it had become clear to him that his friendship with the late convicted paedophile had caused ‘major disruption’ to the Royal Family’s work.
(Evening Standard, November 21, 2019)
In other words, this clueless oaf was only concerned about disrupting the Royal Family’s work. He seemed blissfully unaware that he was facing the truth and consequences of his participation in Epstein’s pedophile ring. Clearly, for him, the MeToo zeitgeist is a phenomenon not of this but some alternate universe.
Still, nothing betrayed his cluelessness quite like describing Epstein sexually abusing, exploiting, and trafficking teenage girls as “behaving in a manner unbecoming.” Andrew thought he was “being polite.” This, just as he thought he was “being honorable” when he flew to New York City to end their friendship only to end up sleeping over at Epstein’s mansion-cum-bordello — for four friggin’ nights! But kudos for being so well-intentioned…?
Given his level of cluelessness, one can just imagine the shock he got at Buckingham Palace. Because reports are that the Queen summarily ordered him to clear out his office and then personally escorted him on a horse ride into his royal sunset. As of this writing, nearly 200 charities and organizations have cut ties with him.
But, truth be told, I have already written too many commentaries not only decrying royalty and its appurtenances but also reveling in its scandals and misfortunes. In fact, other royals gave me cause to do so just last month in “Get Over Yourself, Meghan! Royalty Is as Royalty Was,” October 22, 2019. Therefore, any further comment risks displaying gratuitous schadenfreude.
It’s just that I cannot resist the irony of Andrew following Fergie into royal purgatory. An irony that seems Shakespearean given reports that Fergie conspired with their daughter Beatrice to mastermind his fateful interview. (To be fair, equally credible reports are that this duo “cautioned him” against doing the interview. Whatever.)
Meanwhile, given the Charles & Diana chronicles, you’d be forgiven for thinking that none of the Queen’s children inherited her royal discretion and forbearance. Even the stoic Princess Anne could not sustain the shortcomings of her first marriage.
Elizabeth & Philip celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary just last week. It just so happens that, in the commentary cited above, I noted that Edward & Sophie seem most likely to emulate their fidelity to crown and marriage.
What’s more, with grandson Harry heading into self-exile, guess who is going to pick up most of Andrew’s royal duties … Hail, Edward.
Meanwhile, Andrew is just one of many rich and famous men who relied on Epstein to procure nubile girls for their own pedophile pleasures.
Indeed, Alan Dershowitz, professor emeritus at Harvard University, is now spending his sinecure trying in vain to defend his good name against claims that Epstein pimped out girls to him too.
But it can only be a matter of time before the chicks come home to roost for all of them. This, for putting such a perverse twist on the trend of having a friend with benefits.
No doubt they thought they had dodged this bullet when Epstein committed suicide last August. But, even for Andy, the worst is yet to come.
Criticism of the prince’s ties to convicted US sex offender Epstein intensified amid a growing backlash following a BBC interview.
Lawyers for Epstein’s victims have urged the prince to speak to US police.
(BBC, November 21, 2019)
Good riddance and good luck, Andy.