 "Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York attends the Royal Family's Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene's church, as the Royals take residence at the Sandringham estate in eastern England, Britain December 25, 2023. Reuters")
Many people believe that Prince Andrew was the late Queen Elizabeth’s “favourite” child.
However, the Duke of York has seen a sharp fall in prominence over the last ten years due to a string of controversies.
In the latest episode, his name has been linked with a suspected Chinese spy who has been barred from the United Kingdom.
Here is a detailed look at Andrew’s waning reputation and departure from the public.
Links with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
In 2010, Andrew’s reported connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein marked the beginning of his decline from favour.
In a 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight, Andrew claimed to have known British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell when she was a student. Ghislaine is the daughter of media tycoon and former MP Robert Maxwell. In 1999, she had introduced him to Epstein, her then-boyfriend. The three remained close friends even after Epstein was found guilty in 2008 of soliciting a prostitute and trafficking a minor for prostitution.
In 1999, Andrew is said to have personally invited the couple to the Queen’s home in Scotland, Balmoral.
Also, he came under fire after photos of him walking through Central Park with Epstein and him entering the door of his lavish East Side apartment in December 2010 surfaced.
He stated in his 2019 BBC interview that he went to New York to break their ties and that he had regretted spending time at Epstein’s home during that trip.
It was revealed, as per People magazine, that Andrew’s office allegedly arranged the $24,500 loan that Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife, received from Epstein.
According to The Guardian, Andrew resigned from his position as a trade envoy in July 2011 due to the consequences of his links to Epstein after serving in that capacity for ten years.
Accused in sex abuse case
In 2015, Andrew was named in a legal suit against Epstein, which intensified the pressure on him.
A woman later identified as Virginia Giuffre (previously Roberts) filed the case, alleging that Epstein ordered her to have sex with Prince Andrew three times while she was 17 years old, which is considered a minor in the US.
Giuffre later sued Andrew in 2021 for allegedly having non-consensual sexual relations with him.
The royal has always strongly denied the allegations.
Speaking about the same in his now-infamous BBC interview, he had said, “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever. It just never happened.”
Additionally, Andrew claimed he was “home with the children” during one of the alleged encounters, denied he “sweated profusely” while dancing with Giuffre due to a medical condition that prevented him from perspiring, and said he had “no memory” of a 2001 photo of himself and Giuffre and questioned its authenticity.
A Florida judge declared in April 2015 that Prince Andrew’s sexual misconduct allegations were “lurid” and “unnecessary” in order to conclude the civil case against Epstein.
The infamous BBC interview
Prince Andrew discussed his past friendship with the disgraced financier in a “no holds barred” interview with BBC’s Newsnight after Epstein committed suicide in August 2019 while awaiting trial on several sex charges.
Andrew revealed that he regretted his connection with Epstein during the conversation.
“That’s the bit that… I kick myself for on a daily basis. It was not something that was becoming of a member of the Royal family… I let the side down,” he told Emily Maitlis.
Following the controversial interview, which the Queen had approved, the prince was criticised by the public and announced he was leaving his position as a royal.
“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support,” he said in the statement.
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
Virginia Giuffre sex abuse lawsuit
In August 2021, Giuffre brought a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in New York.
According to a statement, as per People magazine, Giuffre said: “I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice.”
Prince Andrew’s attorneys described the action as “baseless, non-viable, and potentially unlawful” during the initial hearing, which took place digitally in September 2021.
When it became known that Giuffre had settled with Epstein in 2009, his attorneys filed a move to dismiss the lawsuit in January 2022. Giuffre agreed to refrain from suing any other “potential defendant” in exchange for $500,000 in the settlement.
The judge rejected the motion, though, so Prince Andrew was likely to go to trial.
Royal titles and military affiliations stripped
The Queen stripped Andrew of his royal patronages and military titles in January 2022 as a result of Giuffre’s civil sexual assault proceedings against her son. Other royal family members took over the prince’s positions.
His other military titles included honorary air commodore of RAF Lossiemouth; colonel-in-chief of the Royal Irish Regiment; colonel-in-chief of the Small Arms School Corps; commodore-in-chief of the Fleet Air Arm; royal colonel of the Royal Highland Fusiliers; deputy colonel-in-chief of The Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths’ Own); and royal colonel of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Out-of-court settlement
In March 2022, Andrew paid Giuffre a multi-million-pound out-of-court settlement, which implies the two sides avoided the case heading to trial.
He was required to provide Giuffre damages and a payment to a charity “in support of victims’ rights” as part of the agreement.
Andrew has been asked to explain how he paid for the settlement, which is said to have cost up to £16 million, and whether the Queen or even King Charles, who was Prince of Wales at the time, helped pay for it.
At Prince Philip’s burial ceremony in March 2022, Queen Elizabeth had Andrew escort her into Westminster Abbey despite his decline in prominence.
“It shows she wholeheartedly loves and believes her son,” royal commentator Robert Jobson said, adding, “She has faith in Andrew.”
Links with Chinese spy
A mysterious Chinese businessman , known only by the pseudonym H6, came into the light recently due to his close ties with Prince Andrew and allegations of espionage.
It emerged a “close confidante” of the royal lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds.
A British immigration tribunal upheld the decision on Thursday in a ruling that revealed the Chinese national had developed such a close relationship with Andrew that he was invited to the prince’s birthday party.
Government officials were concerned the man could have misused his influence because the prince was under “considerable pressure” at the time, according to the ruling.
British authorities believe the Chinese national, whose name wasn’t released, was working on behalf of the United Front Work Department, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party that is used to influence foreign entities.
With inputs from agencies