Prince Andrew stepping down from public duties for 'the foreseeable future'.

[SpiderCharlotte]

He's made an official statement.

Harry & Meghan, is they are wise, will be planning an exit strategy, probably abroad.

They already are, aren’t they? They’ve said they plan to go to South Africa.

He used to be a genuinely useful tool for foreign trade stuff. There are a surprising number of countries where rolling out a prince opens doors and oils the wheels of investment. I used to work in these circles, a long time ago. I’ve no idea if he was still doing this stuff more recently. By all accounts he was a nightmare to deal with, but worth it for the results.

I’m glad he’s stepped down from public duties, but at the same time I can’t help thinking he must be delighted not to have to work any more, which sticks in the throat.

So now instead of paying him to do Royal duties, we will be paying him to do nothing?

Surely we can find some suitable way for him to earn his keep?

Now he and SF can put their feet up in windsor or Verbier. then there is Sandringham/Castle of May/Balmoral. he can oversee the Estates perhaps. He will always be welcome in the Middle East/Russia/Africa/South America where a gentlemans tastes and needs are 'understood' and human rights/murder are an inconvenience.

Massively privileged lifestyle with a guaranteed income, but now no public responsibilities? No attempts at justifying his existence with charity and trade missions?

Sounds ideal to me.

Should also have said he can get on with the wedding plans but the in-laws might be choosy about the pics. Wonder what that conversation was like with his brother and mother? The DoE muttering about car crashes/Paris? heats off Megan for a while and Edward prob. smug buy sympathetic - 'welcome to my world, bro'

If Harry and Meghan have any sense ..they’ll run for the hills and not look back.

And to think of all the stick Meghan has had for daring to spend Christmas with her mother........

Why am I reminded of the start of a Saki short stort "A man is known by the company he keeps".

I think the story is Tobermory - a cat, taught to talk by a professor - it ends badly for both.

Pizza Express in Woking are hiring. I heard he likes it there.

He's been an lazy entitled embarrassment to the RF his whole adult life.
Now he's taken Early Retirement.
His mum should order him and SF to sell off their fancy ski chalet and any other properties and move to anywhere in the world as long as it's not the UK.

I when William and Harry were in the military, they were known as William Wales and Harry Wales.

In the pic of Andy with his helicopter it has "HRH Prince Andrew" on his name badge. Not even just Prince Andrew, but HRH.

Pompous twunt.

Doubt they can sell off the house. SF is a Swiss resident (or she applied in 2016) so that chalet is partly hers and Swiss law will be different. Makes good reading about where the money came from.

If he's stepping back from public duties, will he stop receiving public money?

He doesn't actually receive any public money at all. His mother has been funding him from her own fortune for many years, ever since the Civil List was slimmed down.

To me, this makes him even more of a pathetically entitled person - living off his old mother at his age.

He did receive public money, he received from the sovereign trust a quarter of a million a year, plus private funding from his mother. He will now only receive funding from his mother.

In my opinion if the queen thought he could be innocent (and his alibis will have been tested by courtiers, they will have a record of where he stayed and his security detail) , and she will have went in fighting for him. Without a moments hesitation,

The fact she's sacked him and removed his salary indicates strongly they think he is guilty and his alibis are proven to be lies. The queen will have had the facts before she took this action. she will have been sure and would not have fired him for a shit interview.

This is really drastic action to take, I'm absolutely sure the queen would not have taken this action against her own son if she thought for one moment he was innocent and that innocence could be proven.

The fact his alibis don't stack up is already hitting the press. Caught out in lies like this and I don't think she's any other option.

I'm glad he has been withdrawn from public life. He has always been a national embarrassment. He is entitled and self important.

Wasn't it him who ranted at an Australian customs officer who wanted him to go through some basic airport security before boarding one of his Airmiles Andy flights which would also be carrying other members of the public? It was a few years ago now, and along the lines of him exploding with "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM!!?? Twat!

Yes, he will continue to be paid by mummy! But he is her son and we can't magic either of them out of the equation. No need to feel too sorry for him. Royal Lodge Windsor plus an apartment in Buckingham Palace is hardly turning him out on the streets.

He has not received anything from the Civil List for quite a while now, thankfully.

The only people I do feel slightly sorry for are Beatrice and Eugenie. That is because I think that their father's actions must make him the arch embodiment of an embarrassing parent even though they are not teenagers anymore. Who knows what they think!

Good! I’ve always thought he doesn’t look trustworthy in the face. Can tell a lot about a person just by looking at them. Nastiness and bad deeds show on your face

Had a laugh out loud moment in Sainsbury’s. David Williamson was discussing his new Christmas book called The beast of Buckingham Palace 😂

The bottom line I can't get away from is if he was innocent and had alibis, why would he avoid questioning by French and American authorities, you wouldn't would you.

And the queen will have had his and his security teams looked at. She will know where he was exactly, if she has fired him and told to face questioning, then she's put herself as queen first and decided the law must take effect. If he was innocent, she'd protect both him and the monarchy and not fire him. Because sacking him is huge. And he's clearly only facing questioning because she's said so. He himself told us he wouldn't, and has been refusing it for months.

The records of his security team and him would be made public and his innocence proven.

Both actions, the queen firing him and making him face the authorities, and his prolonged avoidance of it, tell us there really is a significant issue there.

I'm curious to see what happens if it is any other man in Andrew's shoes.

I think that if he is not a working member of the Royal Family, he should no longer have the HRH title.

I suspect when Charles is King, the Royal Family will very quickly become: Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, George, Charlotte and Louis. Possibly also Harry, Meghan, and Archie and I would think Anne and Edward/Sophie will continue with their charities but their children won’t be involved in public events.

His mum should order him and SF to sell off their fancy ski chalet and any other properties and move to anywhere in the world as long as it's not the UK.

What?? Why on earth should he be inflicted on another country? Let him stay where he is !!!!

It is largely done now. He will be forgotten in a week or two (was he ever remembered lolz)!

And on the Firm will go. The daughter's wedding will be interesting hmmm, but I love gossip and scandals galore. By the time she gets hitched her father will be out of the news and smiling for the cameras once again. Or will he?

Sorry can't help that side of me! Ooops.