King Charles’ Friend Shares How He’s Really Doing Amid Andrew Issue: ‘It's Depressing for Him'
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.
On October 17, Prince Andrew announced that he would be relinquishing his royal titles following discussions with King Charles. He emphasized that the move was intended to prevent his ongoing scandals from overshadowing the work of the monarchy. Commenting on the situation, royal expert and family friend, Gyles Brandreth, described the Prince's 'distracting headlines' as 'depressing' for the King, amid his upcoming Vatican trip. He also noted that stripping Andrew of his titles was irrelevant, as he will always remain Queen Elizabeth’s son.
Brandreth made an appearance on ITV’sThis Morning on October 20, where he joined Camilla Tominey and hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard to give an update on the royal family. Sharing his thoughts on Charles’s upcoming trip to meet Pope Leo, he said, "This really means something to the King. He cares about it. He prays; it's a very special moment, and he's all about bringing people together. To have these distracting headlines when he's trying to do something for human relations, international relations, faith relations, is depressing for him."
Commenting also on Andrew’s bombshell announcement, Brandreth believed that the Prince’s status as the son of the longest reigning monarch makes his decision irrelevant. "I think taking away titles, moving people from one address to another, is irrelevant…You cannot take that away from him. He may be called Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the future." The expert added on the Palace’s stance on the chaos: "They will go on following this story until they've got every bit of juice out of it, and the Palace really can't do any more, I don't think."
Andrew’s decision to relinquish his royal titles did not come as a surprise, considering the damage his leaked emails with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein had on the Firm. He has officially given up his royal titles, including the Duke of York, three years after he stepped down as a senior royal. In a statement shared by Buckingham Palace, he confirmed, "In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life."
Andrew’s statement came just days after excerpts were published from Virginia Giuffre's posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, where she alleged Epstein trafficked her and that the Prince had indecent relations with her when she was 17. It also comes after The Sun published an unearthed email from 2011 where Andrew told Epstein, to "keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon." Along with Andrew, ex-wife Sarah Ferguson has also given up her Duchess of York title following leaked emails where she reportedly called Epstein her 'supreme friend.'
If you are being subjected to sexual abuse, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)