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.

Good...he is shady as hell.

Remember, that he hasn't actually been convicted of anything at the moment

I'm well aware of this, but on the other hand his brother's paedophile pal had, and yet still Charles continued to support him and was (rightly) officially criticised for it

As I always say on these threads, isn't it a little odd that the loathsome Andrew gets all the stick while his brother remains unmentioned? It might even be thought that Andrew provides a useful deflection ...

I feel quite sad for HM having to arrange a funeral around the vile behaviour from 2 close family members, to be honest. I think they're probably thanking the pandemic for allowing for a much more streamlined option at Windsor chapel.

Harry and Andrew are liabilities, not assets and I think that once Charles takes the helm, I think there will be a large line in the sand drawn between private family and the public faces of the RF.

Where is the justice for the trafficked girls?
The US police clearly feel Andrew can help with information. Andrew has not helped them

Where’s the justice for Harry Dunn? You know - the young guy whose life was stolen from him?

@Alsohuman

*Where is the justice for the trafficked girls? The US police clearly feel Andrew can help with information. Andrew has not helped them*

Where’s the justice for Harry Dunn? You know - the young guy whose life was stolen from him?

So because Harry Dunn has not got justice , this justifies Andrew in not helping police re the Epstein case?

I agreed that Harry Dunn should receive justice .
You seem to saying that because he hasn’t Andrew is right not to help the police investigation into his friend and their activities

@Alsohuman

*Where is the justice for the trafficked girls? The US police clearly feel Andrew can help with information. Andrew has not helped them*

Where’s the justice for Harry Dunn? You know - the young guy whose life was stolen from him?

And the one group you ignore is the trafficked girls and that related scandal which makes it look like you are trying to downplay the situation Andrew is embroiled in . Are you ?

So because Harry Dunn has not got justice , this justifies Andrew in not helping police re the Epstein case?

I agreed that Harry Dunn should receive justice .
You seem to saying that because he hasn’t Andrew is right not to help the police investigation into his friend and their activities

I reckon she may be onto something here.

So how's about, we give the Americans Prince Andrew glady and they give us Anne Sacoolas?

Deal?

But all other members of the RF should be 100% self sufficient, even down to their security.

I agree with you about the RF being slimmed down - but I’m not sure what you’re suggesting is realistic. The security cost must be huge. Huge. And the world is such that, if I were, say, the Duchess of Cambridge, I’d be bloody glad of it (and would certainly want it for my children). But that costs pretty serious money. Would you really want, say, Prince William (ultimately heir to the throne) to do a David Cameron? Sell his position for a quick buck to a dubious financier.

I agree that it needs a review - but I do think we need to be careful what we wish for....

'A stickler for justice ? Where is the justice for the trafficked girls?'

Maxwell's trial starts in July so let's wait and see.

We had tensions at family funerals it's nice to know money can't insulate any family from the usual dramas.

Andrew is Vile.. I hope we never have to see his smug ugly mug ever again..

For me, the issue is that he's offered to provide a witness statement. This is some way removed from being willing to answer questions. I also vaguely recollect him hiring Pinochet's extradition lawyer but I could be mistaken.

Given the diplomatic nightmare this could cause, I'd be surprised if he wouldn't be treated fairly and to the letter of the law (I've watched too much of Hastings) if he agreed to be questioned by the FBI.

He lost my sympathy when he started the ludicrous pizza express (in the afternoon, not late evening), photoshopping and sweating stories. If he'd been honest and said, yes, I did spend the evening with Virginia, I didn't appreciate her circumstances and had I known, I wouldn't have done so, I think the public would have been more understanding.

And the one group you ignore is the trafficked girls and that related scandal which makes it look like you are trying to downplay the situation Andrew is embroiled in .
Are you ?

No.

Reading between the lines of what the US has said, it seems they have asked to interview Andrew (by which they mean a face to face interview) while he has offered to answer any questions in writing through his solicitors.

I think that accounts for the difference in opinions where the US solicitors say he hasn't agreed to help and Andrew says he has.

I can see why the US don't want to take up the offer of written responses - unlikely that he'd say anything that he didn't say to Emily Maitlis! And I completely see why Andrew wouldn't want to do a face to face - much too risky.

I must stress that I don't have personal knowledge of this issue - this is just my thoughts on reading what has been said in public.

In fairness its more complex due to who he is and the fact that it's a foreign law enforcement agency, politics as well as who he is on top always makes things more complex. I agree with a PP that from the limited information that's been shared, it seems his willing to co-operate is probably true, but not to the extent the US want; ie written response vs in person interview and so both sides are sort of correct in what they are saying.

@CathyorClaire

PA might be disgraced but he's still been flying kites about the return to public life he's reported to crave. See the PR stunt that had him packing cupcakes for NHS workers during the last lockdown.

I'd also like to know if he's still got his £1K an hour extradition expert on retainer.

YY to Charles and his support for his convicted mate getting brushed under the carpet. It's also a convenient hiding place for his very close association with the hideous Savile despite the widespread reports of his activities being an open secret at the time.

Wow. Bloody hell. This makes me hate him so much.

@OldScrappyAndHungry

There’s no paternity question I think they’re just hoping we’ll forget he exists

There's long been a rumour/theory (which is undoubtedly baseless) that Andrew was Lord Portchester, the Queen's Racing Manager for many years' son. He has the same full face, you see.

Personally, I think that he's taken the coward's way out - which speaks volumes about the "man". Yes, having sex with a 17-year-old on UK soil might be legal - my friends and I drank alcohol in Austria on a school trip when 15, because it was legal there - but if that 17-year-old has been trafikked? He ought to help with enquiries. At the very least.

CathyorClaire:

YY to Charles and his support for his convicted mate getting brushed under the carpet. It's also a convenient hiding place for his very close association with the hideous Savile despite the widespread reports of his activities being an open secret at the time.
........
That's a horrible attitude to take and smacks of slander. If you are talking about Bishop Ball, he fooled loads of people! Even the lovely AofC, George Carey, who said after it all came out, "We were all duped". The Bishop was invited to give a talk at a school my relative attended, I went to listen; everyone was impressed by him, thought he was a marvellous man.

it was not an 'open secret' about Saville either. There were rumours but there are alway rumours about people in the public eye and he was generally highly regarded.

Considering the limited contact Prince Charles would have had with either of them, he can hardly be accused of knowing about their nefarious activities. They were actually a shock to all.

People like Saville cultivate associations with good, high profile people. Geoffrey Epstein did the same.

We can all be fooled you know.

contrary: There's long been a rumour/theory (which is undoubtedly baseless) that Andrew was Lord Portchester, the Queen's Racing Manager for many years' son. He has the same full face, you see.
........
Bollocks to that one. More scandal mongering. As a young chap, before becoming jowly, Prince Andrew looked very much like the queen's uncle George who died in a flying accident. He also resembles the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and some of the Duke's relatives. He is nothing like Lord Porchester.

@jessstan2

contrary: There's long been a rumour/theory (which is undoubtedly baseless) that Andrew was Lord Portchester, the Queen's Racing Manager for many years' son. He has the same full face, you see. ........ Bollocks to that one. More scandal mongering. As a young chap, before becoming jowly, Prince Andrew looked very much like the queen's uncle George who died in a flying accident. He also resembles the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and some of the Duke's relatives. He is nothing like Lord Porchester.

... hence why I said the rumour was "undoubtedly baseless" (meaning without cause, false, not true). There's no way the Queen would have committed adultery - absolutely none. Yet there is the rumour.

Also, if you're looking at the Lord Portchester of our generation - no, they don't look alike, but then again... he's also supposed to be the son of someone other than his legal father. I forget who now, because I'm very "meh" about such rumours. The Lord Portchester who is alleged to be PA's biological father did resemble him - but then again, everyone's connected to one another somehow, aren't they?

According to the news he’s been outside the Chapel at Windsor talking to reporters this afternoon.

only the Queen/King are subsidised by the tax payer, as they bring in more revenue than what they cost us. But all other members of the RF should be 100% self sufficient, even down to their security
If we brought this in with the next changing of the Crown, how would that work?
So Wills and Kate go out to work, but would remain a huge security risk as heir to the throne. They'd burn through any inheritance fairly quickly between private school (much more reasonable considering the security risk of educating the heir, spare and extra), housing (doesn't need to be huge but does need to be secure), security and staff (they'd still need to perform some duties, even if they were paid pro rata for them so would need some level of help). He worked for the air ambulance and she could do her photography full time.

Then one day the call comes. The King is dead, long live the King.

So they quit their day jobs and just become the reigning Monarchs?

At best it would have to be anyone out of the direct line of the throne so Charles, William and his household, George and his household etc.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56710086

Well to answer the OPs question- oh no they are not.

I do expect that once the Queen dies, King Charles III (or maybe George VII) will have a slimmed down monarchy. Some of the Royal Family traditions started by King George V may end.

@peak2021

Well to answer the OPs question- oh no they are not.

I do expect that once the Queen dies, King Charles III (or maybe George VII) will have a slimmed down monarchy. Some of the Royal Family traditions started by King George V may end.

There’s not much more slimming he can afford to do.

He will only have a handful of adult working royals until his grandchildren are old enough.