They are keeping Andrew out the way, arent they?

[ssd]

On the bbc news, 3 out 4 of the queen's children wished to say something in tribute to their father...

Andrew is obviously been kept on the back burner. They must know there's only so much the less fawning of us can take.

Isnt it more likely that they just recorded a short bit at home after he died, and it was sent in to the media? Nothing is left to chance. Look at that website,that's not some hodgepodge job, it's been set up months. It's probably someone's job to fact check it monthly in case anything has changed. Just as they regularly practise the procedure for different deaths or the Queen's and prob Prince Charles at his age. It won't be some harrowing thing they're forced into doing, but something they expect to have to update yearly.

@Loveisthehope

Sophie seems lovely - glad she can help comfort the Queen

Yeah I have a lot of respect for Sophie these days, she's done a lot of volunteering for the NHS during the pandemic. I have heard she's very close to the Queen and the now late Prince Philip so its no surprise she looked devastated.

Back to Andrew, total waste of space but whilst the Queen is still alive he will be protected. Although clearly he's trying to keep a low profile, he was barely pictured at Windsor when visitng the Queen, drove in and out.

I think the interviews were probably couched in terms of how they all viewed him in his various roles in his working/family life as they were growing up, hence the past tense.

@TheSpottedZebra

They’re all pre-recorded well in advance and just updated every now and again. They’ve already done one for their mother, and I believe for each other, as well.

What, surely not? Now, pretend that your mum has died - that's right, remember to use the past tense- now what would you say about her?

Isnt it more likely that they just recorded a short bit at home after he died, and it was sent in to the media?

No, they really do have things all pre-recorded and ready to go.

Yes it’s odd, but can you imagine having to sit and try and talk like that in the hours, or even days, after the death of a parent? It would be horrific.

They’ll all be well used to it and just update them every now and again when needed in the same way the tv broadcasters have the obituary programmes all set up and ready to go.

Blimey! Obviously I knew that they have obituaries ready to go, but I didn't imagine that would include the 'now imagine your dad has just died, what would you say' bit.

That IS horrific. As is having to make any public statement after a bereavement.

Remember the fury when they said nothing after Diana died... they can never risk being that unpopular again unless they want a referendum.

They’re in a weird position with this one. People might totally understand why Charlie, Annie, and Eddie were quiet on social media after their Dad died... but had the Prince of Wales, Princess Royal or Earl of Wessex not spoken after the death of the DofE they risked being accused of ignoring the public. Pre-recording is the lesser of two evils.

Nothing is left to chance. Look at that website,that's not some hodgepodge job, it's been set up months.

Without wanting to be pedantic, I noticed straightaway that the front page of the RF's website had a (albeit minor but clear) grammar mistake on it. I was so surprised that I took a screen print of it, as I wondered if some junior lackey will be sent to the tower reprimanded for it. It was later corrected.

.

Yes I would say it was to avoid another Diana incident, although pre recording probably defeats the purpose, but I know I would not expect comments from their children immediately after their death.

Also I would say the Wessexes probably got the heads up to acknowledge the crowd and the press pack on way out akin to the walk abouts after the Queen Mother died. Although possibly Sophie made the comment off her own back.

@ssd

Yeah and l hopefully wake up tomorrow a size 10

Why would you want to be a very large shoe?

He is the only one who is so pompous that he ALWAYS refers to his mother as "the Queen" when saying anything about her. The others vary between saying an affectionate anecdote as "mother" and re a duty one as "the Queen". Shows what a snidey position obsessed person he is.

In the Maitlis interview she addresses him as 'Sir', which I know is correct protocol but something that the younger royals seem to not bother with.

@SleepingStandingUp

Isnt it more likely that they just recorded a short bit at home after he died, and it was sent in to the media? Nothing is left to chance. Look at that website,that's not some hodgepodge job, it's been set up months. It's probably someone's job to fact check it monthly in case anything has changed. Just as they regularly practise the procedure for different deaths or the Queen's and prob Prince Charles at his age. It won't be some harrowing thing they're forced into doing, but something they expect to have to update yearly.

I read something somewhere about the coding on iPlayer yesterday which meant you couldn’t watch channels live- only had the option to watch the one thing that was being broadcast across all channels. That was written years ago. Like, at the inception of on demand programming 15 years ago. The guy that wrote it was shocked to see his interface on there, as he’s now doing another entirely different job. So that’s all been planned forever, basically. No way they recorded those segments in the brief time after he died but before it was released- not a chance!

Unless someone is convicted of something, you can't really punish them for it. Any rich person who is suspected would similarly be in the lap of luxury.

Personally I will be surprised if he was knowingly involved with underage girls. Not shocked, it's possible, but I think it is something there is a good chance he'd have been carful about. Young isn't the same as illegally young.

@FightingTheFoo

Prince Andrew has been banished from public life. People keep going on about him in contrast to Meghan ("oh why do the media go on about Meghan when Prince Andrew is so dodgy etc etc") - I mean, there can be no greater evidence than this. He has been utterly banished from public life. The Rf can't do more than they've done considering he hasn't even been charged with anything let alone convicted. And equally, because he's been banished from public life there's very little to report on!

But yes, it's pretty significant in terms of showing how far he's fallen from grace.

Quite right, FightingTheFoo.

The public banishment is very obvious and apparent and will no doubt hurt. I hold no brief for the man, but he has not been charged or found guilty of any crime and you can bet the publicity seeking American cops would have been on it if they had sufficient evidence to meet a criminal threshold.

However, Prince Philip was his father too and the four children will all have a role to play at the funeral. I hope Andrew will support HM The Queen as much as possible, given he is no longer able to carry out public engagements.

@SmokedDuck

Unless someone is convicted of something, you can't really punish them for it. Any rich person who is suspected would similarly be in the lap of luxury.

Personally I will be surprised if he was knowingly involved with underage girls. Not shocked, it's possible, but I think it is something there is a good chance he'd have been carful about. Young isn't the same as illegally young.

I agree. Andrew is small fry in comparison with some of the people whom Geoffrey Epstein drew into his web but of course Andrew has the name. When it is all thoroughly investigated we'll probably find he didn't actually do anything apart from having an association with a dubious guy - one who managed to dupe so many far more important than Andrew. Epstein certainly had Ghislane Maxwell under his spell twenty years and more ago, she was madly in love with him for quite a while and it has cost her dear.

It's an unfortunate fact that many want to believe, and actually enjoy believing, the worst of someone else; they rub their hands in glee at the very hint of a scandal. That is a characteristic on which the media feeds.

Haha @ssd who starts threads about there being nothing else on tv and then sits there intently watching it

What the fuck? Is this your replacement for covid scaremongering?

That Daily Express omission was weird!

Cancelled by the daily express! Ouch

Andrew slept with a girl that Epstein had procured. While it’s distasteful, I don’t believe it was illegal.

She was trafficked, that makes it rape in the UK and I have no idea (well I can guess) why the met are not investigating.

'The public banishment is very obvious and apparent and will no doubt hurt. I hold no brief for the man, but he has not been charged or found guilty of any crime and you can bet the publicity seeking American cops would have been on it if they had sufficient evidence to meet a criminal threshold.'

Yes I find if quite staggering all the 'paedo' accusations trawled out daily on mn. We might not like his lifestyle but until someone actually finds evidence to charge him he is innocent until proven guilty.

Not a Prince Andrew fan fwiw.

I feel the same @JaniieJones. At least this thread is about him I suppose but he gets a mention in every single Royal thread.
I said before you could start a thread about how much you liked the hat the Queen was wearing and you’d get ‘Yes but what about PA?’

@sashh

Andrew slept with a girl that Epstein had procured. While it’s distasteful, I don’t believe it was illegal.

She was trafficked, that makes it rape in the UK and I have no idea (well I can guess) why the met are not investigating.

Was she 'trafficked'? I didn't know that, even she hasn't said that. She was hired on and off by Ghislane Maxwell on behalf of Geoffrey Epstein and was paid well, she wasn't a slave. It's a sordid business but not trafficking. What is confusing is the differing age of consent from state to state in America; over here it is sixteen and one would assume that was the case all over but it isn't. In some places it could be eighteen.

What has since been uncovered, ie Epstein's procurement of girls as young as fourteen for his own personal use, is a different matter altogether. He was convicted and served time for that but of course he convinced his large circle of friends that he took a plea and didn't know the girl was 14, it was a one off mistake, etc. We now know differently of course, his preference was for pubescent girls which he kept secret.

Yeuch.

I bet there are plenty of people in high places who availed themselves of Epstein's hospitality who are shaking in their shoes, wondering what is going to come out about them.

'I said before you could start a thread about how much you liked the hat the Queen was wearing and you’d get ‘Yes but what about PA?'

Yes, there is a judicial process for a reason yet mn have conducted a trial all by themselves and found him guilty. The fact he is a privileged white man seems to be the deciding factor.

If he is charged and found guilty then fine but that hasn't happened yet and despite how powerful some think the RF are they certainly can't control the FBI. If they have evidence come to the UK and charge him.

Yes MN want his head on a spike outside Buckingham Palace nothing else will do. 🤷‍♀️