So, what’s new with Prince Andrew?
A Quick Rundown
Prince Andrew, Duke of York has been linked to Jeffrey Epstein a (now deceased) billionaire hedge fund manager for many years. They became friends in 1999 and continued their friendship after Epstein was accused of sexual assault against a minor in 2005. Epstein was eventually convicted of procuring a child for prostitution, along with sex trafficking. He eventually committed suicide in prison in 2019.
Virginia Giuffre was one of Epstein’s victims, and asserted that, from the age of 16, she was lent out to other men, including Prince Andrew. She accused him of sexually assaulting her on three separate occasions as a minor and also states that he was aware of her age. Prince Andrew denies even knowing Giuffre, despite photo evidence showing them together, which he “cannot explain.” Hmm…
Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew in August 2021, accusing him of sexual assault and battery when she was 17. At first, Prince Andrew’s lawyers filed for dismissal and he was prepared to prove his innocence in court. But in early 2022, Prince Andrew and Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed amount. Because it was made out of court, Prince Andrew was spared from pleading guilty, and the case was dismissed. Seem suspicious?
The Royal Reaction
In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth made the (correct) decision of stripping her son of his royal patronages and banning him from using the title “His Royal Highness.” Prince Andrew also agreed not to undertake any more royal duties and defend himself in the civil case as a private citizen.
What’s New?
Prince Andrew is back in the news again, as The Sun reported that he is being evicted from his Buckingham Palace “bachelor pad,” which comes after the closure of his office last year. Although he remained close to his mother (he was reportedly her favourite child), King Charles is bringing in new rules. According to a source, one of those rules starts with showing the public and the duke himself that “Buckingham Palace is no place for Prince Andrew.”
These are big changes for Prince Andrew, as Buckingham Palace has been his living headquarters for several decades. He lived there with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson and continued to use it as his bachelor pad after his divorce. He is known to have brought several girlfriends, including the model Caprice home to the palace.
Honestly, props to the King.
The Photo
Now, back to the photo with Virginia Giuffre. New evidence has been released that the photo, which shows Prince Andrew and Giuffre together, is, in fact real. The duke has previously cast doubts on its authenticity, claiming that he has no idea how it could have surfaced. However, this piece of evidence seems to verify that it was indeed authentic, as a stamp was found on the back of the picture, dating it to March 13, 2001 (three days after Giuffre met the duke). Sources have also claimed that it was printed in a one-hour photo lab.
Not that the out-of-court settlement didn’t speak for itself already…
References:
BBC. (2022, January 4). What are the accusations against Prince Andrew?
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58871849
BBC. (2022, January 13). Prince Andrew loses military titles and use of
HRH. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59987935
Davies, C., Sherwood, H., & Adams, R. (2022, February 15). Prince
Andrew settles Virginia Guiffre sexual assault case in US. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/feb/15/prince-andrew-and-virginia-giuffre-reach-settlement-in-principle
Hennessey, T. (2023, January 29). New evidence ‘shows Prince Andrew and
Virginia Guiffre photo is real’ . Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prince-andrew-photo-evidence-virginia-giuffre-b2271269.html
Vanderhoof, E. (2023, January 26). Prince Andrew has reportedly been
kicked out of his palace “bachelor pad”. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2023/01/prince-andrew-palace-bachelor-pad
Photos:
Jackson, C. (2021). [Prince Andrew, Duke of York] [Photograph]. Getty Images. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/13/1072779687/prince-andrew-royal-privileges-queen
Libera, P. (n.d.). [Buckingham Palace] [Photograph]. https://people.com/royals/on-this-day-in-royal-history-queen-elizabeth-opened-buckingham-palace-to-the-public-for-first-time/
US District Court. (2001). [Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell ] [Photograph]. Getty Images. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/feb/15/virginia-giuffre-prince-andrew-picture-settlement-lawsuit
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