There’s wall-to-wall coverage in the British papers about Prince Andrew. And Boris Johnson, if truth be told, because BoJo and his Tory buddies were holding non-stop parties at Downing Street during the British lockdown. In fact, I halfway wonder if the Queen was deployed to take some heat off the Tory government this week. As we discussed, Andrew’s patronages have been taken away and he’s not allowed to use his HRH style. Someone leaked to the NY Post that Andrew was hurt by how “cutting” the Queen was when she told him face-to-face that she was taking away all of his shiny toys:
Prince Andrew was told face-to-face by his mother, Queen Elizabeth, that he will no longer be known as His Royal Highness, The Post is told. Looking stony-faced, the embattled Duke of York was driven a few miles from his house, Royal Lodge, to Windsor Castle on Thursday morning. There, the Queen, 95, broke the news that she was stripping her 61-year-old son of all his remaining military titles and royal patronages in the wake of the sex-assault lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
And while the two reportedly remain close, the royal source told The Post: “There was nothing from the Queen about her sadness or dismay, nothing emotional at all. It was so cutting.”
Sources speculated that the Queen, who is believed to have been funding Andrew’s legal defense from her private accounts, may continue to do so. It’s reported that he receives around $323,000 a year from her.
Yeah, I don’t buy that Andrew found it cutting at all, especially since mummy is still going to give him lots of money. I doubt this was some kind of cold, formal ceremony either. It was probably just Liz, her favorite son and maybe a handful of senior aides. Andrew was told that all of this was happening for the good of the institution (and he likely agreed) and mummy promised to still pay his bills and fund his legal defense, and probably his potential settlement with Virginia Giuffre too. The rest of this is just bullsh-t meant to make Liz, Chuck and Baldy look tough and authoritative. Speaking of:
Prince Andrew is “shell-shocked” after the Queen stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages, a source close to him has said. It comes as the royal family is said to be ‘furious’ with the prince over sex claims and dragging the family into disrepute. And a source close to Andrew last night described him as “shell-shocked”.
William met the Queen in her private quarters at Windsor Castle, where sources said it was decided the “axe should swiftly fall” on Andrew’s royal career. A royal source said last night the Duke of Cambridge was locked in talks “for more than an hour” with his gran.
Another suggested the Queen came to “the realisation Andrew’s position was grave indeed” after conversations with Princes Charles and William.
The source added: “If as expected Andrew offers and goes ahead with a multi-million pound settlement then his position will become untenable. The Queen could not take the chance of it coming to that and decided, along with her two heirs, the time for action had come.”
A royal source said: “The Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge are completely aligned in their view that the Duke of York has presided over a complete and utter disaster.”
I think Andrew is an arrogant dipsh-t, but again, he’s not shellshocked. He knew what was coming – between losing in court and Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction, things had been going in this direction for weeks, if not months and years. And the idea of William talking to the Queen for an hour about Andrew has to go… again, I just don’t think that’s what really happened here. Something to keep your eye on: who bought Andrew’s Swiss chalet, how did Andrew pay off the $9 million outstanding debt on the chalet, and who is actually paying Andrew’s legal bills?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
I bet those girls he abused were shell-shocked too. Andy can f* ck all the way off. Trash ass abuser.
100%! That whole family supported and shielded him for years. Now they want to pretend to care?
Those gold standard advisors strike again! (The ones some reporter claimed Harry and Meghan should be listening to LOL).
Btw he’s STILL a Councillor of State and member of the Order of the Garter and STILL a Prince of the United Kingdom (and a “Royal Duke”). STILL getting royal security and housing, too.
I wonder if any of them feel a shred of remorse for constantly feeding the Mail and other gossip rags negative stories about Meghan for years to obscure stories about Andrew and his pedophilic ways and human trafficking…
No these people are not normal. Pedophilia is accepted so why would they have remorse if they little humanity in them.
It’s funny that he’s had all those titles and is supposedly the Queen’s favourite son, but I always laugh remembering the time he was wandering around the back garden of Buckingham Palace and security tried to have him removed because they had no idea who he was. Lol I love that story.
Rascalito, l remember that story too. How the fur did fly over his tantrum that he, a prince of the blood royal, was unrecognized and treated as a common criminal. I think l recall they didn’t realize who it was because he was dressed in an old sweater and it was an unannounced visit to BP so they didn’t know he was on the grounds But they still didn’t recognize the very important prince lol.
Gotta protect the family $$
I felt he was potentially the most damaging thing to happen to the BRF. He could have irreparably damaged the monarchy and I think HMQ Charles and William will have swiftly circled wagons once the court finding was announced.
In addition the military organisations no longer wanted Andrew as their chief. Horribly embarrassing and reminding us all that we can function easily without them..
Andrew’s feeling he could lie his way out of accusations and then rely on Epstein’s original prior pay off shows how poorly he can assess a situation.
When someone looks at Anrew’s finances – as they will – we will see things that will horrify
They are cutting losses before that occurs. In the hope to miss the splash back from the fan.
I do not believe the Queen cares one jot for Epstein or his victims – including those his son had any involvement with on any level. There is no humanity there imo.
It is all about the Family and the Monarchy
Yep. This is downright criminal behaviour – and it should damage the BRF much more than the personal squabbles that have been elevated as the most high-profile scandals. Andrew’s actions ought to be the ticking time-bomb beneath the British monarchy (and maybe it will be) . But just look at how this scandal is reported on! It is continually downplayed in the British media, if not outright excused by some journalist. This really shows that the BM is not interested in rocking the boat, they are trying to protect the institution by downplaying the whole thing when they can’t get away with not reporting on it (because the story is in the international spotlight). If not for the international reporting on this scandal, I doubt that we’d hear anything out of the UK.
Self preservation for sure.
William has nothing to do with this! The countries and Charles after reading the tea leaves decided they can’t continue business as usual! William has right-wing friends in the media and all they do is make him more than he is! At this point, he has no role to play in Andrew or any of the queen’s situations! He can have seat!
To quote “The Onion,” “she doesn’t like it when you get caught.”
And, “He could be in real trouble if he loses his wealth, race, and gender next.”
Wait. I’m getting confused on all this media spinning. Was he stripped or did he voluntarily relinquish them? And no way William had anything to do with what happened but the media has to embiggen him anyway.
Well according to buckingham palace’s statement andrew agreed to relinquish them.
I think this was a case of he was told very strongly he was going to have to give up his military titles and patronages. So Andrew was told and he agreed but with a lot of pressure and “this is happening whether you like it or not”
I wonder if this move is in response to VRG saying she didn’t want a purely financial settlement.
I think this move is in response to his legal team trying to challenge the U.S. laws regarding sex-trafficked children. The gasp heard ’round the world finally got through to her nibs (advisors).
I think the statement from BP is intentionally vague on that point:
“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen.”
They could have said “at The Queen’s request” instead of with her approval, or they could have said “The Duke of York has returned his military affiliations” instead of using the passive voice. Instead, the official statement leaves things as vague as possible, which I think is intended to allow all the players to use anonymous sources to spin things one way now, and then potentially another way after things are over and we see whether Andrew admit guilts or not.
The language “With the Queen’s approval and agreement . . . patronages have been returned” could also mean that neither the Queen nor Andrew were the moving force. It wouldn’t surprise me if it took someone else (possibly Charles) to make the call.
I believe he was shocked – he seems like the type of guy who assumes everything will go his way because it always has, so the fact that this time he actually faced some consequences probably surprised him.
I agree. Dude has never had to deal with any of his own messes before. On top of that everyone knows how much he loves playing up his titles and honorifics. He’s vain and his mom has coddled him for 61 years. Even if he knew this might be coming there’s no way he was chill about this.
Side note: how many women and girls do we think his mom has paid to keep quiet over the years?
I actually believe that losing his military titles, HRH, and remaining patronages (at this late date) may be the most he will personally be punished. You can tell by the way he looks and acts that he thinks a lot of himself and his royal position. So, even if he loses the court case w/ Virginia, his legal bills and any damages will be paid for by Mummy and (really) the taxpayers, so he won’t feel the pangs of paying out money that any other defendant would have felt. So, the only thing that’s left are his make-believe honors. What a trout.
I think he was shocked. I imagine he got a call to see the Queen urgently about the events in the news. He decided out of an abundance of caution to walk with his attorney. Only to be told at the gate that the attorney had to stay put. That must have been shocking and absolutely unexpected vas well as what subsequently transpired.
Agreed! No matter what he has been mommy’s favorite and he’s relished in that. He isn’t used to her denying him anything and with his arrogance he probably didn’t think it would happen. The experts didn’t feel it would happen so you know he didn’t believe it would either
I’m sure william was happy to jump on board the anti-Andrew train – maybe he doesn’t like him, or maybe he just saw the writing on the wall for once in his life. but I think it was Charles who made the final push.
I can believe that Andrew both knew this was coming AND was shell-shocked. Like I think he knew it was a possibility but was still shocked that his mother actually did this to him, ESPECIALLY the bit about HRH.
I was coming here to say something very similar – I doubt William had anything to do with it directly, but I can definitely see him jumping on board, maybe putting out another opinion piece that no-one asks for.
If I had to guess I’d say it was Charles who finally convinced Mummy dear to act, if for no other reason than to protect the monarch for his future ‘reign.’
Yeah you can know something is going to happen and still be shocked when it happens. Especially since Andrew doesn’t wear his royal status lightly and is very very proud of being a Prince.
I think Charles brought in William out of necessity. The queen knows Charles and Andrew despise each other so William acted as the more neutral arbiter.
William is not neutral. He is out for himself IMO. He should then have been left out of anything to do with Harry’s plans. The Queen and Charles sold out Harry by letting William call the shots. William is an opportunist and he may feel “what’s in it for him” when making decision about Andrew.
I’m with you, @Becks1: I’m sure he knew about the calls for him to give up his HRH and patronages but didn’t think it would actually happen. Why would he? Everything we know about this guy is that he’s a pompous, entitled dbag who’s been coddled and protected by Mummy his entire life. Why would he suddenly face consequences for anything now? So I fully buy that he was shocked.
Yes, PedoAndy was certainly shocked as his mum has never held him responsible for anything in his entire life!
As for Baldimort, his only interjection would have been to be given the Royal Lodge. This idea that he was with TQ for over an hour is bullocks, UNLESS she was teaching him how to conduct himself with regards to the investiture event, as he certainly doesn’t know what is expected of him, not that he cares either.
I’d like to know how much money he got from Phillip’s will.
The taxpayers are footing the bill. And I’m sure Andrew is eternally grateful.
The taxpayers are not footing Andrew’s personal bills. Security yes, but not his personal bills.
Annnnnd why does he still receive security? It was stripped of Harry.
At this point, “security” is keeping the grifters and sex traffickers away from the not so bright Prince Andrew. But at least he’s still a counselor of state.
Oooh. Excellent point @randie. If Harry’s security was stripped because he wasn’t a “working royal” than what is Andy now doing to earn that security?
… Exactly.
@Randie – Because Andrew is still living in the UK and his primary home is on the grounds of the Windsor Estate. Overall security on the entire Windsor Estate is tight just as it is tight for Buckingham Palace, the Kensington Palace Complex & the St. James Palace Complex.
He also still has his personal protection officers, which is a step above and beyond. If he was just living at Royal Lodge and benefiting from the security already in place, that would be one thing. But he still has his RPOs, the queen intervened so he could keep them two years ago.
@Becks 1 – I did not mean to imply that Andrew lost his RPOs which is which I said “Because Andrew is still living in the UK”.
Today from The Guardian regarding Andrew’s Tax Payer Funded Security:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/14/prince-andrew-facing-calls-pay-for-own-security
He’s shell-shocked that his fuckups finally had (minimal, way-too-late) consequences. His family is furious that he was stupid enough to get caught. NONE of them truly understands, or even cares, what they actually did wrong.
Maybe William bought the chalet as a hideaway for trysting.
I do think Andrew knew what was coming, but I also think he was truly surprised that mummy went through with it. This might be Andrew’s late-in-life introduction to something close to reality.
Has the chalet actually sold? I haven’t seen any reports about it.
I actually think he was shell-shocked that this actually happened. There’s no way after over a decade of scandal in which he has consistently insisted he did nothing wrong, said he would clear his name, thought he had cleared his name via the BBC interview, refused to show any contrition or empathy for anyone except himself, and instructed his lawyers to trash Virginia’s reputation as much as possible, that he suddenly saw the light and meekly went into a meeting with the Queen and voluntarily relinquished all his titles and status. And surely the first ‘royal source’ is Fergie, repeating what he said to her when he got back from the meeting?
Totally agree. At 61, the man has never faced consequences for his behavior. He’s a *Prince*, for god’s sake. Losing his HRH would be a huge shock to him. This is a guy who once stayed at an aristo country house, walked into breakfast & when no one stood up to acknowledge his presence, he said something like, “Let’s try that again, shall we?” before leaving & re-entering the room. He’s stunned to be checked like this.
The timing of the “stripping” of (some of) his privileges intrigues me. I know the family was unhappy about being kept in the dark about Andrew’s legal strategy. In light of his recent losses, I wonder if they’ve been advised that the whole thing is hurtling towards disaster.
I saw a lawyer explain this morning that this move by the queen was most certainly intended to protect her wealth from being used to settle a larger amount with Virginia. Now it can said that Andy is a private citizen and only the money he has can be accounted for the settlement, if Virginia wants to settle. Disgusting, the whole lot of them.
I’m finding it so amusing how Wills is inserting himself into all these conversations 🤣. His Stan’s are eating it up and crowing about how the throne should go directly to him and not Charles when the queen passes.
I think that’s absolutely why this is happening. However (and I’m not a lawyer) I’d argue that at the time the crime was committed and even when he was served, he was not a private citizen. Therefore this attempt to protect assets is nothing more than obvious shell game .
Totally agree that he was not a “private citizen” when crimes were committed however I do wonder if his lawyers will now attack the legal paperwork as he is addressed as HRH. Can that be done?
I gotta disagree here- I could absolutely buy that he was totally surprised. This is a man who has never faced a single consequence in his whole life, until recently being asked to step back from royal life (while still maintaining every title and perk, so really was that even a punishment?).
And like every other royal, he has been on a pedestal his whole life, always told he was right, bowed to, etc so why wouldn’t he believe he is above consequences for his actions?
I could totally buy that he didn’t expect any further action to be taken against him, especially since he’s the favorite child. That, to me, makes it even better. I would have loved to have seen the look on his face yesterday!
Yeah, I think these folks are waaaaay too removed from reality to have a reaction that we would think is reasonable. I’m with you, I think he was surprised.
He tried to push back after being asked to step back previously, and this took basically a public letter from the armed forces to get his military titles removed after all these other things have happened, which is just a crazy level of pressure for this pretty basic step that she could have taken at any time before now (and did take as concerns Harry with respect to military titles for far less reason). Of course he is surprised, he thought this could go on indefinitely.
I’m sure he is shell shocked that his little pedestal is tumbling over. How dare we insult him.
Narcissists and trolls live in their own alternate reality.
Yeah, I agree that it’s more likely Andrew and his mother have struck a deal. As long as he’s protected, he’s fine with losing his patronages and titles and Charles has probably agreed to continue to protect after the Queen dies.
“William met the Queen in her private quarters at Windsor Castle, where sources said it was decided the “axe should swiftly fall” on Andrew’s royal career.”
This feels like it came from team Cambridge. And I just an flabbergasted. Are they honestly trying to spin this response as “swiftly.” They have basically waited until the last possible moment they could do something.
Agreed. As the military veterans pointed out, this could have/should have been done any time in the last ten years.
I will bequest him his new title which he can now use, and let him be known throughout the land as “Pedo Andy of Woking Pizza”.
William went into the room with the queen , threw himself on the floor and started to kick his legs while demanding she kick Andrew out of royal lodge and give it to him.
To which she replied. Oh william do pull yourself up off the floor with your few remaining hairs. That is not how a royal behaves. Andrew is not going anywhere and furthermore, go tell your wife it’s time for her to get to work. And no I don’t consider propping herself up In every paper as the next reigning monarch while at the same time showing the world your true colors as a petulant angry man child while stepping all over Meghan to make herself look better is not what the calendar considers royal work.
The only thing that may have shocked him is that mommy did do it and didn’t bounce him in her lap when she did it. He has lived a life of leisure, entitlement and luxury while being the Queen’s favorite (which has even more perks).
All I could think is how much good that money he gets could do if given to those charities helping those in need.
Another thing I’m wondering – how does this affect the unspoken contract between the media and the monarchy. Is Andrew fair game now? Will the press feel emboldened now to start spilling suppressed tea?
Oh please, Andrew knew what as coming. Old Betty and her minions are protecting their assets publicly but I’m sure will continue to fund Andy privately.
All of this seems so staged.
These stories exist solely to paint this decision as an emotional punishment directed at Andrew instead of a pragmatic move to protect royal and private Windsor finances.
If this was about Andrew’s behavior, this move would have been made years ago. The fact that it didn’t come until after Andrew ran out of most of his legal wiggle room is telling.
I hate how the British media reports on this scandal. Andrew isn’t embarrassed by “sex claims” as they write – he’s accused of the RAPE of a trafficked teenager!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He going to trial for this (though not a criminal trial). The British press is really out there trying to minimize how horrific this scandal is, and consequently, how depraved Andrew is and how awful the Queen and monarchy is for supporting him is.
Exactly. This is a crime, not “oh haha he had a personal life.”
Honest question: does losing the HRH publicly really matter? I mean, he will still be HRH, just can’t use it publicly, right? Being an HRH privately can’t be taken away under current Letters Patent, I think, and no one has talked about him losing his place in the succession, his security or his home, just his patronages and military appointments.
Harry and Meghan show it doesn’t matter if you don’t care about it, but This idiot cares very, very much.
Remember back before Harry and Meghan left there was talk of them being sent off to South Africa to live? Would this not be a good time for Andrew to be sent off somewhere so the Queen doesn’t have to deal with his problems during her upcoming Jubilee?
Oh, lord. What country do we hate enough to wish him there? I can’t think of anythat deserve that punishment.
Send him back to the Falklands!
I’m just so grateful to Virginia
Me too! She is extremely brave and of outstanding integrity.
When l first read this headline, l saw “Prince Andrew is shellacked.” But that would do as well.
Does Switzerland have an extradition treaty with the US? That chalet though…
I am behind Virginia 100%.
How many people in this family are grifters? They are a major crime family. They will sell themselves, sell out others, sell titles and honors to the highest bidders, sell “access”.
The closer to the center the greater the rot: and closer and closer the Windsors get to being the true “House of Middleton”.
Actually the Middletons might come out to the good in a comparison between them and the Windsors. Even the Markles might come out looking fair.
Talk about a stretch. Andrew is on TQ … the Middletons have nothing to do with his behavior .
Re : Andrew “shellshocked”?
Really? Well PA was never noted for being the sharpest tool in the shed. Sixty years old and still getting by on family connections, etc., like some overaged frat boy who thinks his over-inflated ego translates into some sort of actual entitlement. Of course, they cut him loose! Even being mummy’s favorite can only take you so far when you’re that much of a liability. The Duke of Windsor was practically exiled and he was a former king.