While the British monarchy celebrates King Charles’ coronation with pomp and pageantry this Saturday, a cloud still hangs over his younger brother Prince Andrew.
Andrew was stripped of most of his titles and removed from royal duties in recent years because of his friendship with late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, and a related sex assault allegation.
Andrew settled a U.S. lawsuit in February 2022 in which a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. He has never been charged with a crime and has always maintained his innocence.
Andrew was said to have been Queen Elizabeth’s favorite son, but the scandal was too much for her. Since his rapid fall from grace, the prince has appeared in public only a few times.
Andrew, a Falkland War veteran, was not permitted to wear a military uniform during two solemn processions following the queen’s death in September, one in Edinburgh and one in London, where he and his three siblings walked behind their mother’s coffin.
“Andrew, you’re a sick old man,” one heckler yelled as the queen’s coffin was carried through the streets of Edinburgh.
The incident reflected at least a portion of the public’s perception of the prince. According to a YouGov poll published this month, he is the least popular member of the royal family among those polled.
ONCE POPULAR PRINCE
Andrew was once a well-known figure.
The “Playboy Prince” was dubbed by tabloids as they cheerfully reported on his love life, and he earned respect for his service as a helicopter pilot in the Falkland Islands.
His marriage to Sarah Ferguson in 1986 was viewed as a breath of fresh air in a stuffy institution at the time.
Everything went wrong gradually and then all at once.
As a roving trade ambassador, he earned the moniker “Air Miles Andy” because of his frequent travels, which frequently included rounds of golf. In 1996, his marriage ended in divorce. The media chastised him for his alleged high-handed behavior and extravagant lifestyle.
But it was the Epstein scandal that brought Andrew true shame. His attempt to clear the air in a TV interview in 2019 was seen as having backfired, with some of his justifications for his actions widely mocked.
Andrew is still ranked eighth in the line of succession to the throne, and the British media speculates that he may still have hopes of returning to public life.
Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, with whom he is still close, said in a TV interview last month that the prince was a good man.
“He’s a kind, good man, and I think the spotlight should be taken off him so he can get on with his life and rebuild,” she said.
However, royal observers believe a return to favor is unlikely, not least because Charles has spoken of a slimmed-down monarchy with fewer working royals.
According to British media, the king also wants his brother to leave the mansion he has occupied on the royal estate in Windsor for years and move into a smaller home.
