Andrew Lowney, author of ‘Title: The Rise and Fall of the House of York’, says the royal family was ‘preoccupied’ with the Andrew scandal.
Why King Charles finally stripped Andrew of his royal title
Royal expert and author Andrew Rowney explains how the royal family tried to protect Andrew amid the Epstein scandal.
When King Charles announced that his brother Andrew would be stripped of his royal titles and kicked out of his luxurious home at Royal Lodge because of his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, it marked an incredible fall from grace.
The former prince, known as Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. But the effects of his actions still linger. On Monday 1 December, by royal order, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s name was “stripped” from the prestigious Order of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Order of Honor.
But will this erase the stain on the royal family? USA TODAY spoke to Andrew Rowney, historian and author of the new book “The Rise and Fall of the House of York,” about the future of the royal family.
The Epstein File Transparency Act was passed, requiring the Justice Department to release documents in the Epstein case by December 19th. What do you think will be revealed about the former prince?
Andrew Rowney: Well, I don’t know. I understand that there is a lot of material about him. I think there is a risk that many materials will not be made public. We’ve already seen quite a few revelations…particularly the length of his relationship with Epstein.
There is a bit of caution about him leaving Royal Lodge. He has been given one year to leave the country. He basically claims he really wants to have a pretty big house on the Sandringham estate. He wants to hire servants, drivers, gardeners, and housekeepers. So it’s probably not a fall from grace like everyone assumes. He claims he needs compensation because he has a cast iron lease.
In other words, what is said in public and what actually happens in private are completely different things.
You detail in your book that Andrew was photographed with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach in February 2000. He also played cards and golf. What do you think their relationship was like, and how do you think Andrew’s fall from grace could ultimately affect the president?
Well, the relationship is good. So they have three common interests: women, golf, and making money. And Andrew was actually assigned to look after President Trump during his previous state visit. Although Trump now claims he does not know Andrew, there is plenty of evidence that they were very close.
Andrew was the Queen’s favorite son. In your book, you cite reports that three officials wrote to the Queen in January 2015 to express their concerns about him. Do you think these concerns actually reached the Queen, or do you think she was deliberately protecting her son?
I think that concern has reached the Queen. Of course, they were directed at his private secretary at the time, and he was like, “She’s not interested, so there’s actually no point in making these complaints.” She had a complete blind spot.
Andrew’s relationship with convicted sex offender Epstein led to his downfall
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, has been stripped of his royal title over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
So do you think the Queen knew details about Epstein long before his death and still protected Andrew?
Yes, without a doubt. The Queen knew very well. The Queen’s household is full of former intelligence agents, or the King’s household is full. The private secretary was a former military intelligence officer. There are good reasons why they choose these people. They are careful, so they know many secrets.
King Charles formally stripped his brother of his title and removed his name from prestigious royal honors. Why do you think it took Charles so long to take action?
You are talking about honors taken away from him, (but) they were actually often given to him after scandals broke out and nothing was done. In a way, it’s confusing that both the Queen and Charles believe that the problem will be resolved and the news agenda will move on.
William has seen the reputational damage in the past and feels he needs to get ahead of the situation. That’s why, just over a month ago, they realized that public opinion was calling for something to happen. And it’s tied to Trump. There is a sense that elites have been acting in their own interests for too long, and those in power need to be held accountable.
You write in your book about how there was tension between Prince William, Prince Harry and their uncle. What do you think the boys knew about Andrew, Epstein and Virginia Giuffre?
I think William certainly knows a lot. As heir to the throne, he would have been briefed. I’ve seen the documents of the meeting…I’m sure they were aware of what was going on. You can see how William feels about his uncle by watching the Duchess of Kent’s funeral.
There’s always hope that Prince William and Prince Harry will reunite. Do you think it’s possible that having a common enemy in Andrew could somehow unite the boys?
I don’t think anything can bring them back. They are both very stubborn and have been told many things that cannot be said.
The scandal also affected Sarah Ferguson. You detail how he racked up millions in debt and suggest that Andrew or the Queen may have paid off those debts. How much tax money do you think has been used to support Andrew and Fergie over the years?
Sarah’s debt payments and payments to Guiffre came from personal funds. So I don’t think it’s the people’s tax. But over the years, I think it’s been difficult to quantify how much money was spent on their safety, traveling by jet where they could go on a commercial plane, or taking helicopters where they could go by car.
That’s why we need more transparency about the Royal Family’s finances. We need to know what the costs are. But I think the palace realizes that it will lead to rebellion because there are concerns that the royal family is not offering value for money. Some people, like Princess Anne, work extremely hard. Some people don’t, and that affects their popularity.
Andrew no longer had the protection of the palace. What does that mean? Could he actually be investigated, prosecuted, and even jailed?
He is being released because he is worried that he will be charged. They don’t want reputational damage. He had what appeared to be an infected limb that was affecting other parts of his body.
There are two reasons why he can be indicted. One was about sex trafficking, which was investigated three times, but the Metropolitan Police decided there was nothing to see there. But I think a strong case is made that this needs to be revisited.
There are also financial crimes. Emails were discovered in which he allegedly obtained information about Guiffle and attempted to smear her. This is a crime based on misconduct in public office, and one of the penalties is life imprisonment.
So I think he could be prosecuted. I don’t think he will ever spend any time in prison. I suspect he will instead take a late-night flight to the Middle East, like Spain’s Jaun Carlos (former King of Spain who fled to Abu Dhabi after being accused of corruption). There is no extradition treaty between Bahrain and the UK.
If he flees the country, it would seem to be an admission of guilt. And he has always denied wrongdoing.
It has to be said that he denies the charges, but the fact is that he has not cooperated with either the victim’s attorney or law enforcement for the past 15 years.
Do you think the palace can recover? Will Prince William be able to start his reign with a clean slate?
yes. As long as they address this issue, I think the public will be satisfied that Andrew will be released and justice will be served. William, Kate and their young family are very popular. I think people are very aligned with what they want to do. It’s a monarchy that focuses more on a few good deeds rather than (more) pomp and ceremony.
We want a monarchy. We have seen how effective soft power can be in uniting a country, for example at the end of the Donald Trump presidency. The monarchy has wide support but needs to be reformed. Ironically, Andrew may have been the one to bring about that change.
