Andrew Lownie just said "We have to remember the royal family fought for a long time to protect Andrew and in fact tried to prevent investigations into him" on BBC news

Original poster

JacknDiane · 31/10/2025 07:46

And his daughters still live in grace and favour apartments even though they aren't working royals.

OP posts:

Tistheseason17 · 31/10/2025 07:47

IMHO, they tried to cover it up. Getting the press to hate on Harry, whilst providing nice inside stories about Charles, Camilla,William and Kate was part of the bargain for media silence. Unfortunately, the release of the Epstein files and everything else was always going to come out. Some media outlets will support the, "strong Charles" rhetoric for more future stories.

didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 31/10/2025 07:49

I don't think the king was head of the royal family when this was happening.....

FenceBooksCycle · 31/10/2025 07:59

I understood "the royal family fought for a long time" to mean that the late QE2 commanded thar the royal family should fight for a long time. And Chaz may have continued that a little since ascending out of force of habit but actually doesn't have to do what mummy says any more.

x2boys · 31/10/2025 08:06

JacknDiane · 31/10/2025 07:42

I think that's really revealing. Rather than the king being strong and dealing with this, he has done everything in his power to cover it up.

I'd like to hear what others, especially supporters of the monarchy, think of this.

I would be happy to dispense with all of them
And I'm not totally convinced Andrew is the only one who might be worried about what will come out
I do wonder though why now?

Coffeeishot · 31/10/2025 08:07

didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 31/10/2025 07:49

I don't think the king was head of the royal family when this was happening.....

This,

MyOtherCarIsAPorsche · 31/10/2025 08:22

The Royal Family have covered up worse.

Andrew must be incandescent with rage - others got away with it.

HelenaWaiting · 31/10/2025 08:32

Tistheseason17 · 31/10/2025 07:47

IMHO, they tried to cover it up. Getting the press to hate on Harry, whilst providing nice inside stories about Charles, Camilla,William and Kate was part of the bargain for media silence. Unfortunately, the release of the Epstein files and everything else was always going to come out. Some media outlets will support the, "strong Charles" rhetoric for more future stories.

The press, and indeed huge numbers of the British public, needed no encouragement to mount their obsessive hate campaign against Prince Harry and his wife. The people that did that need to take responsibility for it instead of lamely claiming that the RF somehow coerced them into it.

HedwigEliza · 31/10/2025 08:36

This is a witch-hunt, really.

There is no satisfying people’s demands. He’s convicted of no crime - even by Virginia Guiffre’s account, committed no crime. But he’s so loathed and despised people won’t be satisfied unless he’s in the gutter somewhere. He’s an unpleasant character, but so many people seem to forget due process and the law when speaking about him. He has a lease on his home - he can’t be forced to leave it. His titles can only be removed by parliament- the King cannot do it, and Andrew himself cannot relinquish them, there’s no mechanism for him to do so.

No sooner did he announce he wouldn’t be using his title of Duke of York, calls were made to take away the title of Prince and his home. Now that’s happened, and it’s still not enough - now he apparently belongs behind bars. There’s so satisfying this baying mob and it demonstrates how little we’ve actually advanced over the centuries.

Original poster

JacknDiane · 31/10/2025 08:40

MyOtherCarIsAPorsche · 31/10/2025 08:22

The Royal Family have covered up worse.

Andrew must be incandescent with rage - others got away with it.

Very true

The Mountbatten part of his name is very appropriate.

OP posts:

Original poster

JacknDiane · 31/10/2025 08:42

You are right @HedwigEliza, we haven't advanced very far if people are still defending loathsome scum who just happen to have Queen Elizabeth as their mum

OP posts:

Slightyamusedandsilly · 31/10/2025 08:42

HelenaWaiting · 31/10/2025 08:32

The press, and indeed huge numbers of the British public, needed no encouragement to mount their obsessive hate campaign against Prince Harry and his wife. The people that did that need to take responsibility for it instead of lamely claiming that the RF somehow coerced them into it.

Show quote history

Exactly. This is going on, on another thread about this. The instant jump from, 'first Andrew, next Harry'.

We're all consumers of the media. They only print because we read it. If there was no public interest, they'd focus on other stuff.

Hotflushesandchilblains · 31/10/2025 08:43

HedwigEliza · 31/10/2025 08:36

This is a witch-hunt, really.

There is no satisfying people’s demands. He’s convicted of no crime - even by Virginia Guiffre’s account, committed no crime. But he’s so loathed and despised people won’t be satisfied unless he’s in the gutter somewhere. He’s an unpleasant character, but so many people seem to forget due process and the law when speaking about him. He has a lease on his home - he can’t be forced to leave it. His titles can only be removed by parliament- the King cannot do it, and Andrew himself cannot relinquish them, there’s no mechanism for him to do so.

No sooner did he announce he wouldn’t be using his title of Duke of York, calls were made to take away the title of Prince and his home. Now that’s happened, and it’s still not enough - now he apparently belongs behind bars. There’s so satisfying this baying mob and it demonstrates how little we’ve actually advanced over the centuries.

Well, we all know that not being convicted of a crime does not necessarily mean you are innocent. And by avoiding going to court or speak to the FBI, Andrew has not done himself any favours.

As for a witch hunt - this is what the RF do. Carry on as usual until public outrage gets to a point which is unsustainable, then throw someone to the wolves to make it look like they are doing something. We have seen it, albeit less dramatically, many times - one person or the institution is protected at the expense of another.

And really, he is getting a free house in a lovely place. Its hardly the worst punishment in the world.

1apenny2apenny · 31/10/2025 08:44

To me it obvious what’s been going on. The objective of the rf is to preserve their status at all costs. In the past they have been able to cover things up due to no sm, now they use injunctions and negotiate with the press to keep things quiet for a few ribbon cutting pictures. They have been forced into making these changes having done the minimum at every step hoping it would go away whilst we are fed lines about William being outraged.

I hope the momentum on this continues and people start pressing for more changes.

aCatCalledFawkes · 31/10/2025 08:46

HedwigEliza · 31/10/2025 08:36

This is a witch-hunt, really.

There is no satisfying people’s demands. He’s convicted of no crime - even by Virginia Guiffre’s account, committed no crime. But he’s so loathed and despised people won’t be satisfied unless he’s in the gutter somewhere. He’s an unpleasant character, but so many people seem to forget due process and the law when speaking about him. He has a lease on his home - he can’t be forced to leave it. His titles can only be removed by parliament- the King cannot do it, and Andrew himself cannot relinquish them, there’s no mechanism for him to do so.

No sooner did he announce he wouldn’t be using his title of Duke of York, calls were made to take away the title of Prince and his home. Now that’s happened, and it’s still not enough - now he apparently belongs behind bars. There’s so satisfying this baying mob and it demonstrates how little we’ve actually advanced over the centuries.

Do you mean it's totally fine to go on TV and declare you cut contact with Epstein as soon as you heard about his crimes but really in secret you carried on sending emails of support thinking no one would find out?

And yet unfortunately for him the emails have now been exposed as has he. Is that what you really think anyone should be doing let alone a member of the royal family, communicating with a sex offender?

TwinklyStork · 31/10/2025 08:47

HedwigEliza · 31/10/2025 08:36

This is a witch-hunt, really.

There is no satisfying people’s demands. He’s convicted of no crime - even by Virginia Guiffre’s account, committed no crime. But he’s so loathed and despised people won’t be satisfied unless he’s in the gutter somewhere. He’s an unpleasant character, but so many people seem to forget due process and the law when speaking about him. He has a lease on his home - he can’t be forced to leave it. His titles can only be removed by parliament- the King cannot do it, and Andrew himself cannot relinquish them, there’s no mechanism for him to do so.

No sooner did he announce he wouldn’t be using his title of Duke of York, calls were made to take away the title of Prince and his home. Now that’s happened, and it’s still not enough - now he apparently belongs behind bars. There’s so satisfying this baying mob and it demonstrates how little we’ve actually advanced over the centuries.

I agree. Morals aside the legal position is not clear cut. He’s an awful loathsome excuse for a man but as it stands currently he’s been convicted of no crime. Virginia Giuffre was an extremely damaged individual (unsurprisingly) and yet everything said in the book is taken as face value with apparently no due diligence and no legal process. Which of course is impossible because she’s dead.

Hotflushesandchilblains · 31/10/2025 08:47

Yes, spot on @1apenny2apenny . I wonder also if the timing here is to shut down the discussion about where the money comes from - because I would bet Andrew is not the only family member who may have dodgy or murky financials.

HedwigEliza · 31/10/2025 08:47

JacknDiane · 31/10/2025 08:42

You are right @HedwigEliza, we haven't advanced very far if people are still defending loathsome scum who just happen to have Queen Elizabeth as their mum

You’re perfectly entitled to think he’s ‘loathsome scum’ - I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with you. The point is that we live in a society governed by law and order. There are legal processes to follow, procedures that must be adhered to. He can’t be stripped of his titles and all his worldly possessions because you think he’s an unpleasant character. He’s not a convicted criminal, and cannot be treated like one. It’s easy to see how witch hunts began centuries ago - the mob mentality is in full display here.

derxa · 31/10/2025 08:50

HedwigEliza · 31/10/2025 08:36

This is a witch-hunt, really.

There is no satisfying people’s demands. He’s convicted of no crime - even by Virginia Guiffre’s account, committed no crime. But he’s so loathed and despised people won’t be satisfied unless he’s in the gutter somewhere. He’s an unpleasant character, but so many people seem to forget due process and the law when speaking about him. He has a lease on his home - he can’t be forced to leave it. His titles can only be removed by parliament- the King cannot do it, and Andrew himself cannot relinquish them, there’s no mechanism for him to do so.

No sooner did he announce he wouldn’t be using his title of Duke of York, calls were made to take away the title of Prince and his home. Now that’s happened, and it’s still not enough - now he apparently belongs behind bars. There’s so satisfying this baying mob and it demonstrates how little we’ve actually advanced over the centuries.

I agree with you. Enough now.

ShesTheAlbatross · 31/10/2025 08:52

His titles can only be removed by parliament

This is what I’d thought, but the news today says the king will send a royal warrant (I think) to David Lammy as Lord Chancellor, for him to formally remove the Duke and Prince titles.
Maybe it’s just removal from succession that can only be done by parliament? Andrew is remaining in the line of succession but I suppose that’s because that doesn’t matter in any practical sense because short of a complete tragedy involving William and all his children, and Harry and both his children, it’s not going to happen.

HedwigEliza · 31/10/2025 08:53

aCatCalledFawkes · 31/10/2025 08:46

Do you mean it's totally fine to go on TV and declare you cut contact with Epstein as soon as you heard about his crimes but really in secret you carried on sending emails of support thinking no one would find out?

And yet unfortunately for him the emails have now been exposed as has he. Is that what you really think anyone should be doing let alone a member of the royal family, communicating with a sex offender?

Show quote history

No one would argue it’s ’totally fine’ - the man’s an unpleasant character, as I said, and a liar to boot. But we live in a society governed by law and order and due process. Everyone is entitled to it, no matter how despicable they are.

LancashireButterPie · 31/10/2025 08:56

HedwigEliza · 31/10/2025 08:36

This is a witch-hunt, really.

There is no satisfying people’s demands. He’s convicted of no crime - even by Virginia Guiffre’s account, committed no crime. But he’s so loathed and despised people won’t be satisfied unless he’s in the gutter somewhere. He’s an unpleasant character, but so many people seem to forget due process and the law when speaking about him. He has a lease on his home - he can’t be forced to leave it. His titles can only be removed by parliament- the King cannot do it, and Andrew himself cannot relinquish them, there’s no mechanism for him to do so.

No sooner did he announce he wouldn’t be using his title of Duke of York, calls were made to take away the title of Prince and his home. Now that’s happened, and it’s still not enough - now he apparently belongs behind bars. There’s so satisfying this baying mob and it demonstrates how little we’ve actually advanced over the centuries.

He's not been convicted of a crime because he hid behind his mother who wouldn't let US investigators interview him.

Charles is an embarrassment, head of the Church of England but unfaithful in his marriage, long term friend of Jimmy Saville. Has raised sons who hate each other and has grandchildren who will never even know each other.
He is only acting now, in response to public opinion, to save face.

lemonraspberry · 31/10/2025 08:57

The cover up seemed to be under the late Queen's watch. I suspect the rest of the family have a different opinion on him and now feel, after giving Andy every opportunity to go quietly, have booted him out.

No he has not been convicted of any crime (yet) but it appears highly unlikely that he is innocent.

Mikart · 31/10/2025 09:00

JacknDiane · 31/10/2025 08:40

Very true

The Mountbatten part of his name is very appropriate.

Show quote history

It is

HereAreYourOptions · 31/10/2025 09:01

Can we not just bin them all at this point? The monarchy and the whole aristocratic structure is a ridiculous anachronism that should have been torn out decades ago.

Does anyone look up to these people any more? Why on earth would you?

Oh, but Trump apparently does - says it all really.