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The royal family
Original poster

Prince Andrew has bolted to Balmoral

999 replies

Viviennemary · 08/09/2021 10:30

This according to guess who. The DM of course. To avoid getting papers served says the article. Maybe he's just gone for a nice break. Accompanied by Fergie.

OP posts:
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11
merrymouse · 11/09/2021 16:59

@stairway

It’s very misogynistic to blame the Queen for Andrew’s behaviour as a grown man.
It’s the ongoing support as his boss that is the problem - from awarding him an honour after a number of what could at best be called massive errors of judgement in 2011 to expressing a wish that he should keep his military titles in 2021.

I have sympathy for her as his mother, but she should keep her support out of the public realm.

Roussette · 11/09/2021 17:02

The Queen should have tackled his behaviour decades ago.
Just bear in mind, even after VG's claims, the Q still gave him the Knight Grand Cross, the highest honour possible for service. What does that say?
She can't care about public opinion

stairway · 11/09/2021 17:12

Roussette The Queen obviously thinks butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, but she isn’t the first mother to be like that and she is only human. I don’t think an award given to you by your mum really counts for anything anyway. It’s like getting a gold star sticker as a kid.

Farfalle88 · 11/09/2021 17:26

@MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously

I think for someone like PA, status is very important. I think loss of reputation, being publicly mocked, withdrawn from public duties, not being seen at his own daughter's wedding will have hurt him. At some point he will have to talk to the police. It's not justice in the same way as prison but it's not nothing for someone like him.
I don’t see him as someone who is capable of being hurt. Angry and impatient, aggrieved perhaps but not hurt. He just just comes across as massively entitled and arrogant.
merrymouse · 11/09/2021 17:29

I don’t think an award given to you by your mum really counts for anything anyway. It’s like getting a gold star sticker as a kid.

Except it isn’t, because she gave it to him as the head of state, not as his mum.

merrymouse · 11/09/2021 17:30

And his military titles definitely have an official meaning.

Serenster · 11/09/2021 18:00

That was Operation Midland, @upinaballoon. Police informer “Nick” (actually Carl Beech) made a series of allegations about some extremely senior public figures being involved in a child sexual abuse and murder ring in Westminster.

Despite the allegations being initially assessed by the Met Police to be credible and, serious, absolutely no evidence was found, despite years of investigation. Beech was charged with twelve counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Midland

Then there were the allegations made against Cliff Richard as part of Operation Yewtree. The police organised a search of his house with the BBC filming it live as it happened. No evidence was ever found to back up that allegation either.

Mamamia7962 · 11/09/2021 18:05

If the Queen had stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles it would be like an admission of guilt. I have read that she will wait until the court hearing before making any decisions as under British Law Prince Andrew is innocent until proven guilty which hasn't happened yet.

merrymouse · 11/09/2021 18:13

If the Queen had stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles it would be like an admission of guilt.

He could have voluntarily removed himself from the Royal family, like Harry.

Whether or not he is guilty of the charges, he clearly doesn’t have the character required to hold an official position. This has been clear since at least 2011.

Serenster · 11/09/2021 18:29

He could have voluntarily removed himself from the Royal family, like Harry

He totally should do this. The fact that he actually insisted on a notional promotion in his honorary rank though (based on length of service, not merit) while all this is ongoing shows you how little he reads the room.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 11/09/2021 18:44

I’m not sure what you want her to do?

Resist garlanding him with ever higher decorations perhaps?
Avoid giving two fingers to the nation public support through unnecessary photo ops?
Just keep her private feelings private, as she notably does about so much else?

smilesy · 11/09/2021 18:45

Agree Andrew should remove himself from all official duties. I think he has, in fact, been “sat on” to a certain extent. He seemed to try it on during and after his father’s funeral in an attempt to weasel his way back in to public life, but fortunately that seems to have come to nothing in particular. I have it from someone who has had dealings with him that he is indeed arrogant and full of self importance so I really don’t think he feels he has down anything wrong (not that that is any excuse). Unfortunately, some people are just like that, so whatever the Queen or anyone may say to him to the contrary, he will refuse to believe it. Hopefully, he will be completely sidelined.

PeriWrinkles · 11/09/2021 18:52

@merrymouse

I don’t think an award given to you by your mum really counts for anything anyway. It’s like getting a gold star sticker as a kid.

Except it isn’t, because she gave it to him as the head of state, not as his mum.

Except it is, because she's a self-regulating, unelected Untouchable whose "awards" count for fuck all in a civilised democracy.
upinaballoon · 11/09/2021 19:36

When I was a teenager John Profumo resigned from office and was in disgrace and he withdrew from public life and as far as I know, he made a very decent job of working for charity after that. He was under suspicion and he had lied to Parliament about sleeping with a 19(?) year old who was also sleeping with a Russian and therefore there had been a security risk. It looks as if he accepted that he'd well messed up and I don't think he tried to get back into public life.

I agree with all of you who have said that Andrew has disgraced the Royal Family, even if nothing else comes out. He could keep his head down and play a bit of golf AND do some quiet useful work with a charity. I don't mean be a patron. I mean pack boxes with food or something like that. Whether he would or not I don't know.

upinaballoon · 11/09/2021 19:40

I have been wondering if the GM trial will ever actually happen although I don't know any reason why it shouldn't.
When the Chauvin trial was on it was shown on Al Jazeera TV over here. (I have an English friend who lives in the USA and she has strong views about court cases being televised.)
Do you think the Maxwell trial will be shown over here? Could it be?

Plumtree391 · 11/09/2021 19:54

There will probably be bits of it on Youtube. I don't think trials should be televised. Having said that, the Oscar Pistorius trial was shown here; perhaps trials abroad are filmed and shown in other countries but they are not shown live in the UK.

Roussette · 11/09/2021 20:17

I watched most of the Chauvin trial on CNN live
I can't imagine this one won't be shown
There's a lot of public interest

Roussette · 11/09/2021 20:18

P.s. on my Samsung TV in UK, CNN is built in and so that's how I watched

Roussette · 11/09/2021 20:23

Also C-SPAN show this

Porridgealert · 11/09/2021 20:25

@MummyJ12

It looks as though he’s on the run quite literally. It also looks like he’s trying to get off on any technicality, him hiding from being served with legal papers is pathetic and ridiculous. Just shocking behaviour.
He was served the papers in August. But don't let the truth get in the way of your prejudice.
Roussette · 11/09/2021 20:29

What prejudice Hmm

He avoided having papers served. end of.

Original poster
Viviennemary · 11/09/2021 20:32

I bet GM wont be tried. Something will stop it. Dont know what though.

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CathyorClaire · 11/09/2021 20:32

@Mamamia7962

According to the Sun online, Prince Andrew's legal team are claiming the papers weren't legally served, and that in 2009 VG reached an agreement settlement with JE where the contract stated she couldn't make claims against individuals. Prince Andrew's lawyers are hoping to have the case thrown out of court because of this. How true this is who knows, but it will be interesting to see what happens in Court on Monday.
I read a similar report today.

Doesn't look good that he and his team are looking to get off on any sort of technicality rather than him answering questions directly as he promised so very publicly to do.

It is strange that Sarah has been praising him quite so vociferously. But then Epstein paid off some of her debts didn't he? So she's involved

Fergie's a freeloader with no grip whatsoever on money management. Epstein negotiated her debt down then paid off the paltry (to the royals) remainder but not upsetting him by refusing meant she and her ghastly husband still got to enjoy all the bells and whistles rubbing shoulders with a generous billionaire brought.

It's quite telling that there were eighteen contact numbers for her in Epstein's little black book as opposed to a mere sixteen for Andrew.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 11/09/2021 20:34

I have been wondering if the GM trial will ever actually happen although I don't know any reason why it shouldn't

Not "shouldn't", but I can see why plenty wouldn't want it to, for fear of what she might say.
Frankly I'm just amazed she's still alive, though I suppose it would look like a job lot if something happened to her too. Either way, no doubt the lawyers will be making a packet with negotiations over plea bargains flying in every direction

Roussette · 11/09/2021 20:40

Nothing will happen to her. The Epstein 'suicide' was a complete cock up and she is watched continually because of this.

NYC federal jail where Jeffrey Epstein killed himself to close. That news has just been released.

Maxwell has a huge amount of legal backing. There is a website for her managed by her brothers with a lot of updates.