Despite his villainous behaviour, anyone feel a teeny bit sorry for Andrew?

[busymomtoone]

Before I get totally flamed, I despise his attitude, and the things he appears to have done - particularly the subsequent lying and apparent determination to shield/ hide misdemeanours. However, seeing the photo of his release today looking a broken man after such huge public downfall , plus thinking of him going back to an empty house on his birthday with no family support - even though I initially felt he deserves every indignity and consequence - there’s still a teeny part of me that just can’t help feeling just a little bit sorry for him. If it’s true that he was taken to a brothel at age 11 , whilst it would in no way excuse abusing others , it means he has also been a victim of abuse. Additionally it seems the Queen and his entourage have never ever said no to him in his whole life- so to reach his 7th decade before any consequences hit makes me question how resilient he will be able to be. Obviously main sympathies are always rightly with any victims , but even the most hardened and perpetual criminals often retain family support, he seems to have nobody. ( albeit if his own making ) or am I just being too soft?!

No

Being in a uber-privileged world doesn't remove your ability to comprehend what constitute abuse. Do you think he would have been ok if one of his daughter has been included in one of the "meetings" with another man?

It's an interesting way of thinking however, which could be used for everyone who wants to get rid of the royal family. If you believe that being raised in that environment makes you so cut off the real world, surely they are the worst people on earth to 'represent" the country and too dangerous to keep in their position of privilege.

No, I don't feel sorry for him, he knew what he was doing. I do, however, wonder why he seems to be the only one copping any flak when clearly, this ran deep.

In a Hollywood film, this would be the moment at which Andrew - with nothing else to lose - does a Samson and appears in the US and blows it all to pieces. Final revenge for 1776, as he walks away with the credits rolling and the Union Flag restored to the Whitehouse.

He’s made his own bed, but is partly a victim of changing times and attitudes.
Agree that its odd that from millions of pages of documents his is the only case really hitting the headlines.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he took matters into his own hands - It’s a bit of a witch hunt now, and I can’t imagine him surviving long in HMP system!

Of course he should be arrested for offences if he meets the threshold - and it was right that this happened. It was wrong that GF was bought off and AMW didn’t face judicial process as any of the rest of us would regarding what we understand of his conduct to her. Do we know if he’s been charged? But the level of public censure and shaming, and the fact that his brother has to publically state his approval, and the fact that if any of his family now go near him this will be front page news and they too will be shamed, all mean that his experience of this arrest is on a different planet to how the rest of us would fare. Baiting AMB is now an international blood sport. TOL have suspended comments on him and I think that’s the right decision. He is a product of an utterly dysfunctional institution.

Very unlikely that he'll be sent to prison even if he's convicted. Said in the press yesterday that he would be too much of a risk to be inside prison - not sure that what he's been involved in is a result of changing times and attitudes tbh

Lots of people have their arrest put into the public domain if they are high profile - I don't really care much about any of them tbh. They live a pampered privileged life while other people can't afford to eat

No

You're judging the whole thing from a 2026 perspective- it's easy to be pious in hindsight
I don't like what he's done, but I totally cut him slack for behaving like a spoilt prince
It's the mechanisms that allow someone to do that that need to be scrutinised- and we sure are doing that now
It's the baying for blood, witch-hunt aspect that actually appalls me
None of us is without our secrets and peccadilloes- just thank god that what you've done and said in the past will remain there.
If we weren't hamstrung by what is currently politically correct, we'd be having very different public discussions than about one errant prince.

What is shocking to me is how many people had so much to do with Epstein long after they should have.

I don't think Andrew is being 'picked on' but I also don't like the idea that if they get one big 'scalp' justice can be considered to be served. I think this could happen.

Nothing is happening in the US where most of Epstein's crimes and victims were.

I'm not sure my secrets are on a par with anything Andrew has been accused of

Screwed up children become screwed up adults.
Brought up by a series of paid servants, distant parents and everyone around you worried about losing their jobs if they upset you.Little wonder then that you think you can do as you like.Little wonder you have zero emotional intelligence, or ability to discriminate between those who are your “friends,” out for a share in your status and privileges, and those who are genuine.
So I feel sorry for the destroyed exprince he has lose his status, family, home, even his precious teddy bears are packed away.
Whilst I feel some sympathy for him as a human being, it demonstrates the dysfunction of the whole Royal family. Not even a good thing for those brought up in it, the system produces emotional cripples.

Absolutely this

No, but I also don't agree with the 'I'm pleased the Queen is not alive to see this' type comments, he's a monster she created by awful parenting. The saving grace is that she may have tried to cover up, whereas I think and hope Charles will hang him out to dry. Prison will be way harder for him than most people and I hope he does the time, but I wouldn't be surprised if he took his own life soon, as Epstein did.

I have no sympathy for him at all, anyone who has should read Entitled. He is a disgusting human being and I hope they lock him up.

Not a bit.
Neither do I feel a teeny bit sorry for the bastard who let his girlfriend freeze to death, as discussed on another thread.
Let them get what they deserve.

I have absolutely no secrets on the scale of Prince Andrew’s.

It's neither here nor there as to whether he's the only one named in the Epstein files receiving any justice. It doesn't matter. He's getting deserts for what HE did. You get caught stealing with friends, and they get away with it, you cannot say but 'it wasn't just me, it's not fair'.

The fact is life's not fair as the victims know only too damn well. The fact is he put himself in the focus by not showing any proper attempt to conceal himself, and by extension the crown, by foolishly posing for keepsake pictures and sleeping with trafficked women on his home turf. The fact is he purposely invited the spotlight on himself by doing an interview in which he had no intention of telling the truth. The fact is we might be more egalitarian than the Americans and our women's rights and anti-slavery advocacy is older and possibly more refined than the Americans and that difference matters (it's interesting actually) So yes the hammer is falling on him for now.

No sympathy for any of that.

I will say though that I don't take overt pleasure in someone's downfall, even if I take acute satisfaction in Justice. On that I do have some pity for him in the sense of a Christian sadness that he didn't turn away from these wicked acts when he had the chance and has ruined himself, either with the orchestration of nefarious others or by himself.

That is sad, because with all his gifts and privileges he had a massive potential for good and now it is squandered.

His entire life is shamelessly funded by the public, his family does nothing but take public money to finance their luxurious and leisurely existence.

That might be one of the reasons why there's so much focus on him!

If he's found guilty he'll do his time under house arrest according to the press. He would be too much of a target and a security risk in prison

I think he deserves to be arrested and I hope justice is served but I do feel compassion when I remember that he was sexually abused as an 8 year old (apparently) and taken to a brothel by a friend’s parent at the age of 11. I wonder how much his childhood experiences of abuse affected him and whether they were why he appears to have become so oversexed?
He should - as an adult - have still been able to feel compassion towards victims of sexual abuse and he deserves to be punished for any crimes he has committed.
If it is true that he was indulged and spoilt, that no one ever said no to him and that he is not very bright then, to a certain extent, this helps to explain why he became such an arrogant, self serving man. It also suggests that he was manipulated by Epstein (and others) and was out of his depth, making him a more pitiful figure than he might otherwise be. I still think he deserves to face justice though.

I agree - and l wouldn't be at all surprised if the next headline is Andrew MW has committed suicide.

I would hazard a guess that all of the Royal family were indulged and spoilt. Charles has someone to dress him. He has someone to put toothpaste on his toothbrush - these people don't live normal lives at all.

Yes and No!.
So far, he has not been convicted of any crime (except in the court of public opinion).
In the case of Ms Guiffre, this can never really cone to court, as she is now deceased and cannot be cross examined.
He has actually been arrested for bad conduct in public office, meaning the possibility of giving away confidential information, while being a trade envoy. This is what is being investigated, and I am not sure whether he has been charged with an offence, yet.
What has always surprised me, is that the Gov of the day gave him this position, and I'm even more surprised that he ever had any confidential information.
That said, I have always despised Andrew since the time he sprayed paint over some photographers. Their cameras were ruined, and I think had to be compensated.

Oh I miss the MN laugh reaction option 🤣🤣🤣