Former Prince Andrew leaves his Windsor home as Britain’s royals seek distance from Epstein revelations

Craig Prescott, who teaches law at Royal Holloway, University of London, and specializes in the constitutional and political role of the monarchy, said moving to private property leaves Mountbatten-Windsor “living according to the whims of the king”.

“Sandringham is much more isolated,” he added. “It’s far from London, much further than Windsor, and it’s much more private. It won’t be seen in the same way.”

Andrew Lownie, author of a biography on Mountbatten-Windsor, said the timing of the decision was no coincidence.

“The king has seen that the optics are not very good,” he told NBC News.

Mountbatten-Windsor’s move away from London will be welcome after weeks in which lurid allegations about him once again dominated the front pages of British newspapers.

He has also been excluded from the family’s press operations, with Buckingham Palace making clear in October that it would no longer answer questions on his behalf, leaving him to fend for himself amid a storm of media scrutiny.

Prince Edward, Charles’ youngest brother, dealt with the aftermath of the World Government Summit on Tuesday, avoiding mentioning Mountbatten-Windsor’s name when he told CNN: “I think it’s still very important to remember the victims and know who the victims are in all of this.” »

Its language reflects the stance taken by Charles and Queen Camilla, who said last year that their thoughts were with “the victims and survivors of all forms of abuse”.

Charles became king in 2022 with the difficult task of modernizing the monarchy and following his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose popularity in Britain and global respect were hard-won during her 70-year reign..

So far, Charles has spent his time on the throne dealing with a series of scandals, sometimes facing public ruckus and difficult questions regarding his brother.

The recent series of documents released by the Ministry of Justice have only intensified the storm around Mountbatten-Windsor.

In an email exchange from August 2010, Epstein wrote to a contact named “The Duke” offering to introduce him to a friend “who I think you’d like to have dinner with,” later adding, “she’s 26, Russian, intelligent.” [sic] beautiful, trustworthy and yes, she has your email. The messages exchanged by email were signed “HRH The Duke of York KG”.

In one exchange from September 2010, days after Epstein’s house arrest sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor ended, “The Duke” wrote to Epstein: “Glad you’re coming here to BP,” a common abbreviation for Buckingham Palace.

Mountbatten-Windsor did not comment on the Justice Department’s release of the documents or confirm that his correspondence was included, but he was photographed with Epstein in December 2010 and referred to him as a friend. In 2022, Mountbatten-Windsor reached a legal settlement and paid an undisclosed sum to Virginia Giuffre, who had alleged that she was sexually assaulted by him when she was 17. Giuffre alleged she was trafficked to her by Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.

Separate leaked messages appear to come from Sarah Ferguson, Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife.

In a message to Epstein in October 2009, an account identified as “Sarah” discussed the collapse of Ferguson’s business venture, adding: “I urgently need 20,000 pounds ($27,521) in rent today.” The owner threatened to go to the newspapers if I don’t pay. Brain waves?

In April 2011, after Ferguson gave an interview to the newspaper expressing his “deep regret” for his friendship with Epstein, the “Sarah” account wrote to Epstein that she was trying to “protect my own brand” but told the reporter that he was “in no way going the P route.”

In the email exchange, “Sarah” said Epstein’s financial interests had suffered, “allegedly because I said Jeffrey was a P. And I did NOT do that.” I would NOT do it.”

In the interview with London’s Evening Standard, Ferguson reportedly said she abhorred pedophilia “and any sexual abuse of children and she knew it was a gigantic error of judgment on my part.”

Epstein served time in prison after being convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution, although the true extent of his crimes did not begin to emerge until 2015.

Mountbatten-Windsor and Ferguson did not respond to requests for further comment.

A spokesperson for Ferguson previously said: “The Duchess spoke of her regrets over her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they always have been, her first thoughts are with his victims.

“Like many people, she was deceived by his lies. As soon as she became aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but publicly condemned him, to the point where he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with pedophilia.”

Ferguson’s charity, Sarah’s Trust, announced on Monday that it would close its doors “for the foreseeable future.” She was removed from her positions with other charities in September.

Meanwhile, British police said Tuesday they were “assessing” the reports after BBC News reported last week that a woman in her 20s claimed she was sent to the U.K. by Epstein in 2010 for a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor.

“At this time these allegations have not been reported to Thames Valley Police by either the solicitor or his client,” police said on Wednesday.

In keeping with British police convention, the police statement does not name Mountbatten-Windsor.

For the monarchy, Mountbatten-Windsor’s fall has come in stages, from stepping down from royal duties in 2019 to losing the status of Her Royal Highness (HRH) in 2022. followed by his princely title.

The next step for the royal family is less clear.

“It’s really very difficult to see what else they can actually do,” Prescott said, with any attempt to oust Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession requiring Parliament’s intervention.

Lownie added: “I don’t think the public will be satisfied until there is a real sense that Andrew will be held accountable and will face justice. »