Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Aren’t More of a ‘Long-Term Problem’ Than Prince Andrew for King Charles — Report
Sure, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be a looming issue for the royal family as long as they’re at odds. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aren’t reportedly as much of a “problem” as another British royal, Prince Andrew.
There are ‘unexploded bombs’ for the royal family relating to Andrew
Years after a Newsnight interview resulted in the Duke of York losing patronages, the use of his HRH title, and his working royal status, Andrew remains an issue for the royal family. King Charles III has no desire for his 63-year-old brother “to come out of the freezer,” an insider told The Times.
“Andrew is more of a long-term problem than Harry and Meghan,” the “palace aide” said. “It feels like more stuff is going to come out on Epstein, and there are still unexploded bombs there.”
Andrew’s connection to the deceased convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was the topic of his November 2019 Newsnight interview. In it, Andrew fielded questions on their friendship and whether or not he felt remorse, among others. His responses made for what became widely considered to be a disastrous interview. As a result, Queen Elizabeth II took action. A lawsuit followed, which Andrew later settled out of court.
There’s ‘no possibility’ of Andrew returning to public life
Despite making a number of public appearances — the coronation, Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, Easter church service — Andrew remains a non-working royal. Most recently, King Charles reportedly invited him to stay at Balmoral Castle in Scotland to close out the summer.
Nevertheless, a public return to the royal fold, if even for a summer getaway, is temporary. The king “has always been clear that the Duke is a much-loved member of the family,” a source told The Telegraph. “But that does not mean there will be a change in tack when it comes to his royal status.”
‘It has been reported that his allowance has been cut,” Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator, told MailOnline. “It was rumoured [sic] that his tenure at Royal Lodge in Windsor, which is his home, was in danger. He is also reportedly attempting to regain the police protection he lost when he stepped down from royal duties.”
“It is important to stress that there is no possibility, as King Charles and Prince William have always realised [sic], of him returning to public duties in any form,” Fitzwilliams continued. “A glance at his non-existent popularity ratings in the polls make the public mood very clear on this issue.”
“owever what is being emphasised [sic] is harmony on a personal level, and clearly he and his immediate family, who are also at Balmoral, will appreciate this a great deal. Especially as the photographs we see today are such a very public statement of togetherness,” he said in reference to photos of Andrew in a car with William and Kate Middleton.
Prince Andrew’s ‘Newsnight’ interview may see a resurgence with an upcoming Netflix movie
While Andrew and the rest of the royal family would probably like to leave the duke’s Newsnight interview firmly in the past, it’s the subject of a forthcoming Netflix film. Meaning Andrew’s interview, which even inspired memes, is likely to be a topic of public conversation once again.
The movie, titled Scoop, doesn’t have an official release date at the time of writing. However, some major roles have already been announced. Rufus Sewell will play Andrew opposite Gillian Anderson as interviewer Emily Maitlis.
