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Topline
Prince Andrew gave interviews to British media outlets Sunday after his father Prince Phillip’s death, his first since he stepped down from public duties for the royal family in 2019 over his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York leaves the funeral service of Patricia Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten … [+]
Key Facts
Andrew attended a Sunday church service with his brother Prince Edward at the Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park, a church on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where their father Phillip died Friday.
After the service, Andrew spoke with British broadcasters about his fathers death, saying his mother Queen Elizabeth II felt “a huge void” since her husband died, adding that the whole family is “thankful” for the outpouring of support from all around the world.
However, his interviews didn’t go over well with many viewers, who accused major British broadcasters like the BBC and Sky News of giving Andrew a platform despite allegedly being uncooperative with U.S. investigators looking into the late Epstein’s crimes and being accused of rape by an Epstein victim.
“Prince Andrew” was trending on Twitter Thursday after his comments were aired, and many social media users commented the only Prince Andrew interview they would be interested in is one conducted by the FBI in relation to his involvement with Epstein.
Others slammed the royal family for seemingly being more accepting of Andrew, an alleged sex offender, than of Prince Harry’s wife Meghan, who gave a jaw-dropping interview last month along with her husband alleging she became suicidal after marrying into the royal family and faced racism from within the palace.
Key Background
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a woman whose testimony has led to alleged Epstein co-conspirators like French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel arrested and charged, said she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17 years old. Andrew denies the allegations, and says he has never met Giuffre. Last year, New York federal prosecutors said Andrew refused to cooperate and “completely shut the door” on the investigation into his former friend, a claim rebuffed by the prince’s legal team, which said U.S. authorities turned down three offers of assistance from the prince. Andrew stepped down as a working member of the royal family in late 2019 after he was widely panned for being insensitive to Epstein’s victims in a “car crash” interview with the BBC about his friendship with the late pedophile. More than a dozen organizations cut ties with Andrew after the program aired. Epstein committed suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on charges of sex trafficking girls.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.
Further Reading
‘Stoic’ Queen Elizabeth II Is Feeling ‘A Huge Void’ Since Prince Phillip’s Death (Forbes)
Prince Andrew’s ‘Zero Cooperation’ With FBI Angers Jeffrey Epstein Accusers (Forbes)
Prince Andrew Defends ‘Car Crash’ Epstein Interview (Forbes)
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