Prince Harry Was Candid With Meghan Markle About Andrew-Epstein Scandal: ‘Meg Asked Me…’
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.
Prince Andrew's Epstein scandal is perhaps the biggest in royal history. However, none of the royal family has so far commented on the same, all except Prince Harry. The Duke of Sussex, after stepping down from his royal duties, wrote about a conversation he had with his wife, Meghan Markle, about his uncle in his memoir, Spare.
Andrew, who is known to have shared a friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, was stripped of his duties and military patronages in light of the scandal. His Newsnight interview, where he tried to clear his name, only made things worse. While the Prince claimed he was no longer friends with Epstein, viewers believed he lacked genuine remorse and didn't offer an apology for his actions. Besides the problematic friendship, the Duke of York was also accused of s*xual assault by a woman named Virginia Giuffre. The case was settled outside of the court.
According to Royal Insider, alluding to Andrew's situation, Harry penned how he never thought the government would strip his taxpayer-funded security when his uncle initially got to keep his. In his memoir, he wrote, “Meg asked me one night: ‘You don’t think they’d ever pull our security, do you?'” The Duke claimed he replied, “Never. Not in this climate of hate. And not after what happened to my mother."
He continued, “Also, not in the wake of my Uncle Andrew. He was embroiled in a shameful scandal, accused of the s*xual assault of a young woman, and no one had so much as suggested that he lose his security. Whatever grievances people had against us, sex crimes weren’t on the list.” Harry and Markle's security was, however, stripped when they left the UK. While the Duke appealed earlier this year for the same in court, he lost the legal battle. Harry and Markle currently live in Montecito, California, while Andrew resides in the Royal Lodge, which he refuses to vacate.
Meanwhile, the FBI and Department of Justice’s memo revealed that no lists of Epstein’s clients were obtained by the investigators, according to Fox News Digital. Moreover, no credible evidence revealed that the convicted pedophile was blackmailing prominent individuals. This means that Andrew is free to travel wherever he wishes, but has taken only one trip abroad since news of his friendship with Epstein came out. Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams believes he “remains an embarrassment to the royal family.” The expert added, “No one has forgotten his infamous ‘Newsnight’ interview or the photograph with Epstein. He continues to be seen as an entitled imbecile.” The expert further continued, “He can only be seen with the royal family inside a church without attracting fiercely negative comments. [But] unless he accepts that he has been found guilty in the court of public opinion and… [shows] some repentance or, at the very least, something positive which helps others, at his best, his future is well behind him.”
If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)