Following the declassification of documents that will name just under 200 people with whom Jeffrey Epstein was associated, the Windsors will weather the Prince Andrew storm.
As damaging court documents tie Prince Andrew to Jeffrey Epstein, royal expert Kinsey Schofield explains how the royal family will likely unite around Andrew despite the uncomfortable accusations.
The revelation this week of court documents identifying Prince Andrew as an associate of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has rocked the British royal family.
Yet amid the damaging headlines, royal expert Kinsey Schofield believes the Windsors will stick to their “never complain, never explain” strategy and continue to unite around Andrew.
Prince Andrew appears several times in Jeffrey Epstein’s documents
“It is an extremely uncomfortable time for the royals,” says Schofield. “But I think [Andrew] is likely in a really uncomfortable position and wants this to go away.”
While the accusations are undoubtedly serious, Schofield expects the royals will employ their trademark resilience.
“We have seen the Royal Family really unite around him and I think that we’re going to continue to have the never complain, never explain strategy,” she explains.
Although stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronage, Andrew continues to hang around royal circles, joining his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson with the royal family at Sandringham.
This show of unity hints he retains strong family backing despite withdrawing from public duties.
“They are going to continue to support him in the way that they do by just allowing him to hover just around them,” Schofield notes.
Weathering the Tempest
Andrew continues denying all allegations against him, including that he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre when she was 17.
With Giuffre’s civil case now settled and Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years for aiding Epstein, the royals likely hope the storm will eventually pass.
Yet the latest court document dump keeps Andrew’s name splashed across headlines.
“It’s like the worst game of telephone in the world,” says Schofield, alluding to swirling rumors.
While damaging to his reputation, senior royals seemingly judge Andrew as a family member worth supporting whatever controversies swirl.
If they continue uniting behind the embattled Duke, the Windsors may weather this storm as they have so many others together.
Why can’t King Charles strip Prince Andrew of his titles?
Despite the controversy surrounding Prince Andrew and his departure from royal duties, it is unlikely that King Charles III will attempt to strip him of his royal titles.
According to the blog Gert’s Royals, the current monarch simply does not have the legal power to do so.
Removing titles is the power of Parliament, but even then they would have difficulty, as they cannot determine on their own whether someone is guilty of a crime.
That is up to the judiciary. Since Prince Andrew has never been formally charged or convicted, in the eyes of the UK government he remains innocent.