Prince Andrew taken back into the fold this weekend.

[Wishiwasinmalta]

AIBU or will the popularity of the RF drop like a lead balloon if they keep on doing this?

@Canthave2manycats that's just not true! A lot of the public and press have been against her from day one. The number of older people who I have heard openly being racist about her is unbelievable.

That's why I have no time for his ghastly York family, Sarah, Beatrice and Eugenie. Just venal idiots.

what they do as a family isnt our business

hes not a working royal anymore

@TheKeatingFive

He probably thought they were escorts. There’s no reason he would jump to “trafficked” - why would anyone?
Also 17 year olds can easily pass for 18,19,20 or more

I think the concept of his ever 'working' since about 1984 is moot.

"Allegedly" is the key word here!! Presumably the rest of the family believe Andrew and it's to their credit that they are supporting him and including him on family occasions! I'd like to think that if I was falsely accused of something (which he insists he was) that they would be there for me!

He's clearly guilty of extremely poor judgement, and arrogance - faults that he's been long know to have. Truth or lies - the fact was that dragging the matter through the courts would have been excruciatingly embarrassing for the RF, and particularly in the midst of the Platinum Jubilee.

I'm a big believer in 'innocent until proven guilty". It's the law of the land. Prince Andrew has not been convicted of any crime. I don't want to see him back in public life - too much baggage, and why would anyone actually want to meet him? - but I've no objection to his being considered part of his family as he always has been.

This.

@whynotwhatknot Rubbish. It was taxpayers money that paid the £12 million payout. And taxpayers who paid for his very expensive lawyers. And Andrew only got off a criminal case because he is a member of the Royal family. If he was an ordinary Joe he would have been in a criminal court.

I have never been convinced he did what VG accused him of. My personal belief is he was doing something else entirely, and that she caught him doing that - hence the hush money. It would also explain his marriage of convenience to SF.

Well I guess if you rate speaking publicly about life as a Royal as more heinous than aiding and abetting child sex offenders we just have different moral priorities @JimDixon

Rembember JE was a convicted child sex abuser BEFORE Andrew befriended him.

I guess if you believe supporting child sexual slavery/human trafficking/convicted offenders is a lesser problem than speaking out against racism in the royal family, then your list is reasonable.

your moral judgement however is pretty questionable by most legal and ethical standards.

And this too

Yes - I was using the example of something much worse to highlight the problem

Paedophile - someone who is attracted to pre-pubescent chldren.

It was widely reported that The Queen was surprised they wanted a large wedding given that it was M’s second marriage .
There was no pressure on them to have “ that spectacle “ .

Wishiwasinmalta · Today 15:33
Prince Andrew taken back into the fold this weekend

What on earth do you mean by taken back into the fold?

He has always been very much 'in the fold'

www.thecut.com/2022/03/prince-andrew-escorted-the-queen-to-prince-philips-memorial.html

Yes an he just happened to have an innocent wide eyed friendship with a convicted sex offender for many years and spend time with young girls in the company of that sex offender and never connected the dots.

all totally understandable 🙄

Andrew is not alleged to have 'slept with' VG.

He is alleged to have had sex with her, without her meaningful consent as she had been trafficked to him. Enough with the eupemisms.

No further post from the OP, journo trying to whip up a frenzy I expect.

He’s not been convicted because his mum paid undisclosed millions to make the court case go away and ensure her son’s long term relationship with a convicted child sec offender wasn’t dragged through the courts!

nothing like the principles of honesty, integrity and compassion we expect from our ruling monarchs!

but yeah I guess if you believe that folk that the royals/prime minister etc are just as judicially accountable as the rest of us then it’s way to persuade yourself

its not reality though

Why do you think he would have been in a criminal court? VG has accused him of certain things - one wasn't a crime at the time (but is now) so couldn't be prosecuted.
The remainder, she was over 16 and in each case the jurisdiction meant she was over-age.
Unlike Boy George who is firmly in the public eye and convicted of assault and kidnapping!

Countess of Wessex was with Princess Royal’s husband

This is just another none story.

Being honest I find I have to step back from these discussions as until people realise we are under a legal system that involves the premise of "innocent until proven guilty" we can't get anywhere!

I wonder how long the cancel culture will endure once one or more of the cancelled start taking legal action - JKR is an obvious one to start the ball rolling....

I genuinely hope if you have kids you are just saying the above and do not mean it. Someone who is accused of being a sex abuser and obviously lies about his "defence" is someone you should be protecting your kids from. I would not let Andrew anywhere near my 14 year old daughter.

That’s the point. In those wealthy circles, there are always, rightly or wrongly, young women throwing themselves at the men, whether it be in the role of an escort or a woman wanting the lifestyle. Why would he have thought she was trafficked?

That convicted sex offender didn’t just traffic girls…