Prince Philip Had Warned Prince Andrew About ‘Seedy Billionaires’ Before His Death, Royal Biographer Says
News broke on April 9, 2021, that Prince Philip had died two months shy of his 100th birthday. A statement from the palace said: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”
Following his death, one royal who had been keeping out of the limelight emerged. Philip’s son, Prince Andrew, was front and center to speak about and pay tribute to his dad. Andrew had been staying out of the royal spotlight for a while because of his association with late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who was someone Prince Philip reportedly warned him about.
Prince Andrew gave Epstein interview at Buckingham Palace
With questions and accusations swirling for some time, Prince Andrew decided to give an interview in 2019 about how his previous friendship with Epstein.
The Duke of York invited cameras into Buckingham Palace for the Newsnight interview. When this decision was made Prince Philip had been staying 100 miles away at the Sandringham estate. Many believe had Philip been in London the interview likely wouldn’t have taken place at all and certainly wouldn’t have been conducted inside the palace.
In what was ultimately described as a “car crash” interview, Andrew did not come off as believable and showed no sympathy for Epstein’s alleged victims. The backlash Andrew received after the program aired left him with no choice but to resign from his royal duties.
Prince Philip warned his son about ‘seedy billionaires,’ biographer says
According to Ingrid Seward, who penned the biography Prince Philip Revealed months before he died, a lot of Andrew’s behavior and the people he surrounded himself with over the years “troubled” the Duke of Edinburgh.
“To see his son’s demise through his own stupidity, arrogance, and sense of self-entitlement reminded Philip why he used to lose his temper with Andrew in the first place and tell him what a fool he was,” Seward wrote (per The Express). “It was a bitter pill for a man entering his 60s and, for Prince Philip and the queen, their son’s failure of judgment was a tragedy.”
Seward added: “[The Duke of York] could have taken heed from his father, who warned him of the dangers of being used, especially by what he described as seedy billionaires looking for a pet royal to elevate their own status. Andrew allowed himself to be seduced by the rich and powerful whose only interest was his royal connection and the doors it could open for them.”
Outlet receives complaints after Andrew speaks following Philip’s death
Reporters spoke to members of the royal family as they left a private service at Windsor two days after Philip’s death. Prince Andrew stopped to speak about his dad and share how his mother had been holding up.
The prince described his father’s death as a “terrible loss” and said that his family was “rallying around” and supporting the queen.
The BBC later received complaints about airing that conversation with Andrew outside the chapel and including the Duke of York in its coverage of the Duke of Edinburgh’s death.
