Prince Andrew was out and about in Windsor yesterday, riding a horse in the British heatwave. I thought Andrew would perhaps already be up in Scotland with his dear mummy, but I guess not. Perhaps he doesn’t feel like he should travel at the moment, lest he somehow get “renditioned” to America for FBI questioning about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Andrew’s name crops up somewhat early in Finding Freedom, during Prince Harry’s courtship with then-Meghan Markle. Meghan and Harry had been quietly dating for months, both of them traveling back and forth from Toronto and London with no one the wiser. Harry knew that as soon as the story broke, all eyes would be on Meghan, and he and Meghan both went through great lengths to hide their relationship. When Harry was in Toronto around Halloween 2016, the story broke – and FF notes that the leak to the British papers came from one of Prince Andrew’s staffers. How did Andrew’s staff know? My guess is that Harry told Eugenie all about Meghan (FF says as much) early on in their relationship, and Eugenie told her father and her father’s staff. It almost feels like that sets some kind of tone for what will unfold over the next four years too – Andrew actively hiding behind Harry and Meghan, with a complicit palace structure choosing to throw H&M to the wolves while simultaneously protecting Andrew.
Harriet Hall at the Independent had a great column about this very thing, the comparison to how the palace treated Andrew versus the Sussexes. Here’s an excerpt:
Buckingham Palace had failed to protect the Sussexes, they’d had enough. It simply wasn’t worth it – and certainly not for a man who had watched his mother similarly hounded.Finding Freedom describes Harry reading a tabloid article one day and being “disgusted” by how the paper had portrayed him. The book describes the duchess’ despondence on their final day, telling staff “it didn’t have to be this way,” as she said her goodbyes.
Did it have to be this way? It wasn’t this way for Prince Andrew. He managed to cling on to his royal income and philanthropic pursuits years after being photographed with his friend, convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Why was there no Palace-approved Meghan and Harry interview where they had the chance to tell their story? When Prince Andrew was given royal approval to sit in Buckingham Palace and talk about enjoying doughballs and being sweat-free, as he denied claims he raped then 17-year old Virginia Guthrie who alleges she was part of a sex trafficking ring run by Epstein. Prince Andrew has denied all accusations against him.
…I believe his arrogance and untouchability were in stark contrast to Meghan’s constant attempts to ingratiate herself with the royals and involve in philanthropic pursuits, but being continually hounded by the elements of the press for opening her own car door, exposing shoulder flesh, wanting to keep her son away from the glare of the limelight or daring to have a difficult family life. That combined with the picture we have been provided of what life was like inside the Royal Family, it is no wonder things ended up the way they did.
Why did Buckingham Palace, the book asks, not work harder to break free from their “no comment” approach to dismiss the numerous unfounded rumours surrounding her? It is all so sour compared to those joyous pictures of the Sussexes wedding day.
“Why was there no Palace-approved Meghan and Harry interview where they had the chance to tell their story?” Because the point was always to silence Meghan and Harry (specifically Meghan) and to use M&H as cover for Andrew. Andrew was mummy’s favorite. Raping underage human trafficking victims is preferable to “being biracial.”
Photos courtesy of social media, Avalon Red, Backgrid.
What is Eugenie’s role in this? Did she unwittingly throw Harry under the bus never dreaming her father would be part of the leak. Or did she flat out throw her cousin to the hounds?
The book also states (as was fairly well known for years) that Harry was very close to the York sisters – Eugenie especially. It doesn’t seem like there was any bad blood until the wedding-adjacent pregnancy announcement. So I would think they were still close then, and maybe Eugenie didn’t realize her father would use that information against Harry and Meghan?
Exactly. H and M and Eugenie and Jack double dated prior to the news coming out, and were even together that Halloween when they got the news of the leaks. The only mention of a problem was the wedding adjacent pregnancy announcement. And even then, that may have been smoothed over (slightly overlapping vacations at Clooney’s house).
Either Eugenice innocently slipped, or the Kensington/York aides or security gossiped between each other and Andrew found out that way.
Yes, it sounds like they were still friendly after Eugenie’s wedding. I’m guessing that Eugenie innocently told her father about her upcoming trip and how she’d get to see Harry and his new girlfriend, and her father (and his staff) took it from there. I think if Harry felt like Eugenie had sinister motives he would have kept her at a distance after that-but she seemed to really like Meghan, and the four of them spent a lot of time together.
OR perhaps she was just having a discussion with her father and the subject of Harry came up and she nonchalantly mentioned that he was dating someone new. You know things that like do tend to come up in conversation. If I’m talking to my dad he will definitely ask me how my cousins are doing even though we’re all grown adults and even though both of my cousins are married if they were not and one had a new girlfriend, I would mention that not even thinking twice.
I think this is what happened. I don’t think Eugine spilled with malicious intent. This also proves that the staff was gross and leaking from the very beginning.
The timing makes me think she told her father/mother maybe that day or the day before, just something like “oh we’re going to a party tomorrow night with Harry and his new GF” – and then the news was almost immediately leaked, because it leaked when Harry was in Toronto.
Remember Harry used her house for the Ed Sheeran video, which was after Eugenie and Jack’s wedding, and I think overall they’re supposed to be close still, so I honestly don’t think Eugenie cared “that” much about the wedding/pregnancy “announcement.” Like I said yesterday, I think her parents cared a lot more.
It makes Eugenie look naive if she did tell her father about Harry’s new relationship. She must have known that her father would have been leaked that information. Then again, she’s runs an anti-slavery charity while her father is implicated in child prostitution and sex trafficking.
she sd have known better
Well in that case I am very happy that Meghan announced her pregnancy at Eugenie’s wedding and stole the spotlight from her and the York family. I am so happy Meghan and Harry left that toxic family behind.
I was thinking the same thing. The wedding misstep was sweet unintentional revenge.
I don’t think Eugine said anything with hopes that it’d leak. Her and Harry still seem close (overlapping vacations at the Clooney’s and Harry using her home for that video with Ed Sheeran) after everything so I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. I’m really side eyeing her parents. Andrew’s staff leaking the relationship, the tiara fiasco, the shady comments about Eugine’s wedding in comparison to H&M‘s…..and then them constantly being thrown under the bus as cover for Andrew….it’s too much.
This Fucking Villain.
Absolutely agree. What a hateful, despicable person. To do that to his own nephew to escape well deserved media attention from his own crimes is appalling. When the time comes, I hope Charles cuts him viciously and swiftly. Horrible human being.
This! Apparently no one in the family much cares for Andrew’s awfulness as is and clearly his dishonorable deeds are beyond the pale, once mummy goes he’s going to be banished from the family so quickly he’ll be stunned. He’ll go down as one of the most vile disgraced royals in history.
I truly hope he knows this fully and frets over it every second before it happens.
Looking at Andrew’s smug-ass rapist face makes me so angry. I can’t believe he is the hill Petty Betty is willing to die on.
At some point, we need to ask – what did the Queen know, what actions of her staff did she approve. Andrew speaks with Mummy daily, so she may have tacitly approved leaking it, in the hope the romance would fizzle.
Nor do I believe out-of-control courtiers leaking constantly. It occurs too often, at critical times for it not to be intentional.
I love that they called this out directly. THIS is where any plausible narrative regarding the Firm’s treatment of Harry and Meghan falls a part on every single level.
Quit protecting your spoiled, disgusting, son, Liz. He’s gross and you’re tainting the crown by doing so.
It is so odd, with decades in protecting the Crown sacrificing any real parenting of her oldest kids…. so many things done in the name of duty. At the end of the day she will chunk it all to protect her disgusting sexual abuser son. Maybe all those sacrifices weren’t for the crown… maybe she is just a rotten person too.
Yes, that article is really dead-on and just destroys any arguments about whether or not H&M could have defended themselves, or whether or not taking away the HRH or whatever was necessary. they could have ,and it wasn’t.
I do too @janedoeswerk
This reasons behind the leaks and how M&H were scapegoats are what needs to be in the mainstream press, not all the foolishness about tights and tiaras.
Eugenie has always been very loyal to her father, Andrew. She helps him boost the York brand. Her royal charity work in support of sextrafficked women was initiated by Prince Andrew himself in 2012 (Key to freedom project)!!! 🙄 another coverup?! Since the accusations against Andrew (about his connections to Epstein) restarted mid 2019, Eugenie has postponed her work for this charity, therefore protecting her father’s reputation. She’s clearly more loyal to her father than to Harry. The FF revelation of the leak through Andrew’s staff is no surprise.
I have been very surprised at the amount of sympathy the York girls have around here. I am not saying they are as bad as their father or that they are guilty for his sins…
BUT…the way people here come to their defense every single time is strange.
Beatrice´s relationship with Edoardo is shady as f***. Yet…just some pictures of her wedding and the many commenters forget about everything- even the shady visit of Beatrice and edo with her father to the chinese ambassador- and suddenly they had their super romantic love story and please, do not drag Andrew into this because, poor Beatrice is not to blame…although, as I said, she was not under any obligation to go with him to visit the ambassador, nor was her in obligation to allow Andrew to micromanage her wedding and use it as a way of diverting attention.
Same with Eugenie. Yesterady a bunch of Bridezilas were screaming about how dare Meghan? Meghan was either not showing, therefore did not need to say anything, or Meghan had purposedly chosen a dress that would make her bump show…meanhile, dear Eugenie, poor sausage, had her wedding spoiled! Even though the text only said she felt they could have waited…even though she got her carriage, her tiara, her weekend stravaganza, Euegnie was a victim…
What I have learned? These commenters are definetely projecting because Eugenie and Beatrice are both average looking white women forever locked into a ” my parents are so embarassing! trip…
But the facts…they tell another story. The story being of two princesses that, although socially nice and privatlely lovely, are unable to escape their upbringing and will be by their father´s side no matter how vile he is.
I think children have all the right to believe their parents and hope for the best and support them, but they went a step forward with all those actions and this does sudden adoration of these women do not sit well with me personally,
The Yorkies were nasty to Pippa and Kate during the latter courtship. I don’t understand the need to protect the precious dears either.
@Priscila: This comment should be engraved in stone.
Excellent comment.
Mary Trump has distanced herself from her monstrous family, the york girls have not. Big difference. They are full grown adults who still openly support their criminal parents.
The Windsors better pray the SDNY prosecutors don’t want to Harry and Meghan to see what they know about Andrew’s connection to Epstein and Maxwell, especially Harry. Do you think they would risk obstruction of justice charges for House Petty?
OOOH that would be massive if they brought Harry in for questioning about Andrew. Can you imagine.
It’s hard enough keeping things secret from the public. Imagine how hard it is to keep it from your own family too! It might have been unfair to expect Eugenie to keep a secret from her father, especially if she is close to him. Even if he is a POS.
Royals, they’re just like us. It’s complicated. Families when they gather over the holidays. Things that dare not be mentioned y’know. Politics, wills, in laws, sibling tiffs etc. So when cousins are presumably close is there any heated discussion about an uncle, a father with criminal ties and the daughter’s anti human trafficking work? “Hey cuz, how come your dad gets to keep his honorary military ties, money, estate, huh, what’s with that?!”. Or is it that infamous elephant in the drawing room that will never be discussed? Because it’s complicated.
There always be people who will actively defend and support the two average looking white woman who clearly don’t upset the status of being basic . I don’t believe for a one second that Eugenie innocently like it slipped to her father Harry and Meghan about relationship this family is not normal their is always games being played to out do each other in every way . Eugenie is her father daughter I’m sure she has his jealous side too it’s amazing how Meghan is always blame for her dad and half sister behavior but Eugenie and Beatrice are made out to be victim and innocent woman people are quickly to defend them saying it’s their fault their parents are trashy but Meghan is to blame for her dad behavior. The double standard in which white woman are always giving the benefit of the doubt their actions are looked at as innocent where as Meghan every actions is looked as plotting or doing something wrong all the time . The thread yesterday about Eugenie wedding was such a eye opener to see the way some white woman were so quick to see Meghan allegedly actions as tacky so quickly to call her every name in the book they become so crazy yesterday that anyone who dared say anything about it not being big deal was always called names . Now that this story has appeared making Eugenie looked bad the new names are nowhere to be seen because now the white blood princess is looking bad her actions were the ones that was tacky she betrayed her favorite cousin trust. It looks to me like Eugenie was coaches by her father to become close with Harry to gain his trusted.
Vanessa, when I saw the number of comments on the post here about the alleged wedding pregnancy announcement, far more comments than on the posts about the crappy behavior of the BRF towards the Sussexes, I didn’t even bother clicking on it because I could already predict that what you are describing is exactly what was happening in the comments section. The people who normally keep quiet and lurk here while hating the fact that Celebitchy is not a Meghan hate site were just waiting for a chance to drag her. I wasn’t interested in wading through that just to find sane commentary.
Yeah, I was actually quite surprised by how many people were all over Meghan for simply confirming to some family members that yes, she was pregnant. I mean, come on!
Same. I knew exactly what the comment section would look like for that story so I didn’t bother clicking. Lo and behold, it has almost 400 comments. Predictable indeed.
I stopped checking the thread when trolls took over to simply bash Meghan for existing as a pregnant woman.
Harry and Eugenie were always close-so I think the idea that she was somehow coached into getting information to pass on is totally farfetched. The book made it pretty clear that she and Jack spent a lot of time double dating with Harry and Meghan and that she was very vocal about her support for Meghan.
@MaryContrary
Eugenie knows the father she has. This kind of info is something you do not need to discuss with your father when it is known that your father do leak things. Yes, she might have let it slip, and Harry obviously was not mad, but she should have known better.
But of course Eugenie is automatically assumed to be innocent their no way she would ever did anything malicious to her cousin she innocent white woman . I think the two York’s sister are just as mean spirited and petty as their disgusting father Eugenie behavior at Harry and Meghan wedding was completely low class disgusting to witnessing I don’t believe for one moment that like Meghan she tolerates Meghan because of Harry her behavior at their wedding show her true feelings about their union she laughing and snicker throughout the whole ceremony . That’s not someone who values her cousin wife I really do believe that her father did tell her to be more friendly with Harry because if Harry valued and like the York’s it would help the York’s to tried to become working royal having access to more money for Andrew and Fergie shady deals don’t forget Andrew and Fergie have money problems . I don’t think the York’s sister are as innocent as some people are trying to make them out to be I think their just as entitled petty jealous as their parents . Eugenie is supposedly years after her glamorous wedding that’s lasted a whole weekend with had every pageant elementals of royal wedding still mad about Meghan and Harry confirms her pregnancy at her wedding. People are so quick to defend the York’s sister that they don’t even see them for who they really are Just because their basic vanilla doesn’t mean they need defending even when their wrong like Eugenie was their still people excusing her behavior it’s ridiculously.
Great point: where are the York girls stans? I already took a beating when I pointed out Beatrice´s less than clean dating past and her willingness to go along with daddy dearest when these commenters were gushing over her ” oh, so regal” small wedding, praising for bare minimum and yesterday it was even worse and yet…today..where are they?
Here is how you deal with such parents if you are truly an upstanding citizen: you dont tell them anything but the minimum. You go, you meet, you spend time with them privately. You set boundaries ” please, father I have no wish to be dragged to this, please stop asking me to post pictures of us on instagram.” You keep sweet, simple and do not compromise your values.
That they do not this is indication enough they might be embarassed yes, but not enough as to stop accepting his assistance.
Exactly. They clearly haven’t distanced themselves from their very problematic, grifting mother, either. The reports about the latest failed business ventures between their spouses and Fergie only further highlight how inexorably intertwined these six people are.
Part of me wonders if Fergie will ever be subpoenaed in the Epstein affair. Any thoughts on whether she may have been have had any entanglement with Ghislaine and Epstein in their crimes? Why did he give her a loan? (Sorry, I realize this is slightly peripheral, but the optics of the entire York family are just so bad.)
@Zuri: Oh, I DEFINITELY think Fergie was involved in the Epstein crap, too. That woman has no shame and quite questionable morals. (OK, I felt a little Jane Austen with that last sentence, but sometimes, you gotta let your Austen flag fly.)
100% Vanessa. The constant coddling of the York sisters is pathetic. No they’re not responsible for their parents’ shit but let’s not act like these two are all sugar and spice. They clearly enjoy their status of being “blood princesses” and cling to it. I’d also toss in Kate for your description of white women who will always be defended for being basic because she’s quite average looking too imo.
Eugenie could have shut down this “Meghan announced the pregnancy at my wedding” story but she did not. That’s the same crap that Kate pulls. White women and their princess complexes are tiresome and when they cap for rapists they should be called out for it.
I think there are multiple reasons the palace chose to protect Andrew, but not Meghan. Among them is the fact that Andrew is a blood royal. Meghan is not. Andrew is the Queen’s favourite. And protecting Andrew, a born member of the royal family, from bad press, was of a higher priority than protecting Meghan. And if Meghan’s bad press just so happened to detract from Andrew’s crimes, that served everyone just as well.