Ex-prince Andrew should answer US questions on Epstein if asked, UK minister says | Prince Andrew
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor should travel to the US to answer questions about Jeffery Epstein if asked, a UK government minister has said, after it emerged the former prince’s name had already been cleared from officialdom. nobleman’s roll.
Hours after the dramatic announcement that King Charles had officially stripped his brother of all his titles, HRH style and dignity, including Duke of York, Buckingham Palace said Andrew’s name had been removed from the list, a move that essentially ended his public life.
The disgraced royal will move from the 30-room Royal Lodge in Windsor to private accommodation at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, with Charles providing private financial support for his brother from now on.
Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will make her own arrangements. Their daughters, Princess Eugenie and Beatrice, will retain their titles as daughters of a monarch’s son, in accordance with King George V’s 1917 letters patent.
Andrew is eighth in the line of succession to the throne and state advisorhowever, the role had previously been described as “inactive” as he was a non-working royal.
Justice minister David Lammy, as chancellor, is responsible for maintaining the list and royal orders would be sent by the king to remove Andrew’s name, although it remains unclear exactly when this happened.
Business minister Chris Bryant said the government “warmly” supported Charles’ decision. “I think the vast majority of people in this country would think it was the right thing to do,” he told BBC Breakfast.
Bryant, who now describes Andrew as “an ordinary member of the public”, said he should go to the US if he is questioned about the crimes of the late pedophile financier Epstein. “I think, like any ordinary member of society, if such requests were coming from another jurisdiction, I would expect any sane person to comply with that request. So I feel exactly the same in this situation.”
He added: “Basically what I’m saying is that if Andrew were asked to do something by a Senate committee then I would think he would want to comply.”
The king’s announcement at 7pm on Thursday ended two weeks of difficult negotiations after Andrew said he would voluntarily stop using his titles; this move failed to prevent negative headlines when it emerged that he was fighting to remain in the Royal Lodge.
Throughout the process, the palace appears to have been conscious of the impact the king’s decision would have on Andrew and his family.
Sources stated that the decision was made due to serious errors of judgment regarding Andrew’s relationship with Epstein. Among the recent revelations was that Andrew allegedly asked the police protection officer to arrange checks on Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault.
A leaked email claimed Andrew lied when he said in a Newsnight interview that he had ceased contact with Epstein in December 2010, allegedly showing they were still in contact at least three months later. A photograph of disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein at the Royal Lodge party, believed to have been Beatrice’s 18th birthday, has also emerged.
It is almost certain that the king’s decision was influenced by Giuffre’s posthumously published memoir, Nobody’s Daughter; Exclusive extracts from this book were published by the Guardian; In it, Giuffre repeated her claim — which has been vehemently denied — that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times while she was trafficked by Epstein.
Palace sources said there was never any doubt about the necessity of the action. Abolition of the dukedom normally requires legislation. But the king is understood to have preferred to use his royal prerogative powers to abolish Andrew’s duchy rather than waste parliamentary time that could have been spent on important matters of national interest.
The public accounts committee stepped up the pressure by publishing a detailed list of questions they had sent to the royal estate regarding Andrew’s 75-year lease at the Royal Lodge.
Giuffre’s family told the BBC that Giuffre “never stopped fighting for accountability.” “Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family overthrew a British prince with her integrity and extraordinary courage,” the statement said.
