Prince Andrew has bolted to Balmoral

[Viviennemary]

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.

@merrymouse

Whatever happens the Queen’s reputation has been damaged. She has clearly been complicit in allowing him to keep his military ranks.

Even if he can’t technically be shown to have broken the law, his dealings with Epstein and others show that he doesn’t deserve any honours.

I understand that he is her son, but she has enough money, land and resources to support him in a very comfortable lifestyle as a private person. That should be enough.

What damage though? The damage hasn't chnaged their status in this country its not impacted the money they get from us. Nothing has changed for them.

Maybe short term there will be spotlight but like most things they think it'll just die down and they will trot out some good news story to remind the masses how good they are.

End of the day something will change for them. They will still be royals, still rexice taxpayers money

@Stircraazy

Has she accused others? (I imagine there were a few if she was an Epstein girl) Have others come through to accuse PA of similar?

She has accused others but their names would not be familiar over here. A couple of them are suing her for defamation.

There are plenty of other young women exploited by Epstein who are also suing but none have encountered Prince Andrew.

Goodness knows what will transpire during Ghislane Maxwell's trial.

Yes indeed. What will change.
Well... one thing that has changed, this has damaged the Monarchy's standing in the world. We're a laughing stock with this.

I linked on this thread a news report from the US where it's almost 'Prince on the run' type reporting. Australia reporting is interesting too... they call him a 'sex pest' and 'Duke of Porkies'.
I think we sometimes imagine this is contained to GB and a bit of US... no, it's worldwide.

What damage though?

I agree she hasn’t been damaged much, but until recently she was pretty much bomb proof.

I think this is a crack and Prince Charles doesn’t have the level of popularity necessary to hold things together after her death.

The Cambridges might be able to pull things back if they can keep up the front if being a model family, but I wouldn’t wish that job on anyone.

Charles has a helluva job holding it all together after the Q goes. I honestly think at age 72, he'd much rather be a gentleman farmer, or pottering in his eco friendly garden at Highgrove. I can't imagine for one minute he will be happy to be based in London.
And Camilla... does she really want this? I think doubtful, she spends a lot of time in Wiltshire with her family.
It's a poisoned chalice to hand over
(just my oppinion)

[quote merrymouse]Does he though. It has not been proved yet. Since he divorced there have been no rumours of Prince Andrew putting it about wth anyone, never mind teenage girls.

Don’t know about rumours about specific people, but there have certainly been pictures.

www.thesun.co.uk/news/10367796/prince-andrew-party-girls-photos-saint-tropez/[/quote]
These pictures show Prince Andrew with various women at society parties. He clearly enjoys their attention and probably imagines himself to be irresistible. It's a world away from abusing a trafficked 17 year old girl.
Andrew is a dim witted oaf who has fallen into the clutches of a blackmailer and confidence trickster. What happened with him and VG will probably never be proved

Who is the 'blackmailer and confidence trickster'?

There is a thread on mn called i was on a rape trial ama, the stories on there...

One in particular in which someone was on the jury of a case where the accused male had wrote a text admitting to raping the victim and was still not convicted...

So for all those running commentary on innocent u til proven guilty well you know what the justice system isn't perfect in itself

And where it smoke without fire....and there is a fog of smoke with Andrew....

@Roussette

Who is the 'blackmailer and confidence trickster'?

Epstein

And where it smoke without fire....and there is a fog of smoke with Andrew.... Very true

Ahhh OK... although he seemed more than happy in his company and had to be dragged kicking and screaming to end the friendship.

What an ignorant individual PA is. It's honestly beyond me how he can be so so stupid repeatedly. He has advisers pandering to his every whim, the best PR machine in the world (probably) and riches and benefits beyond the reach of anyone.
Yet he can cock up like this. That to me says more than anything. Untouchable. Arrogant. Deluded.
Whatever he has done with VG, this awful press about him all over the world means the chickens have come home to roost. And he isn't untouchable.
I'd love to know what is going on in the Queen's mind and what the likes of say... Zara, Sophie, and say, William.. think of all of this.

Whatever he has done with VG, this awful press about him all over the world means the chickens have come home to roost. And he isn't untouchable. I suspect the thing that grieves him most is the loss of his reputation. The damage to trafficked girls didn't seem to bother him. That came over loud and clear in the interview with EM.

These pictures show Prince Andrew with various women at society parties. He clearly enjoys their attention and probably imagines himself to be irresistible. It's a world away from abusing a trafficked 17 year old girl.

Why? The photo of Guiffre is in the home of a ‘society woman’ after a night out at Tramp. It’s not clear why Andrew would have seen a difference. The alternative is that he knew she was trafficked, which is obviously worse.

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.

@merrymouse

These pictures show Prince Andrew with various women at society parties. He clearly enjoys their attention and probably imagines himself to be irresistible. It's a world away from abusing a trafficked 17 year old girl.

Why? The photo of Guiffre is in the home of a ‘society woman’ after a night out at Tramp. It’s not clear why Andrew would have seen a difference. The alternative is that he knew she was trafficked, which is obviously worse.

But VG is not part of Andrew's social circle. One of the 'little people'. The important things are (a) how GM and GE described VG to Andrew and (b) what actually happened between Andrew and VG. Grim

The Queen did her duty and had the Heir and spare (Charles and Anne). Then she had Andrew so a conscious choice to have a third. Edward came about a few years later and may not have been entirely planned. Perhaps this is why Andrew is her "favourite"

I wonder if he's sweating now

Yes, Andrew was like the second family. She was away for months on end with Charles and Anne, so this was a chance to be a hands on mother
And there's lots of reports out there about how indulged he was and how he behaved

In his own mind perhspaps Andrew thought he was rich and a Prince so irrestible to women young and old. Much like those ugly popstars who still managed to attract groupies as they were known. There was certainly underage illegal sex then.

@derxa

Whatever he has done with VG, this awful press about him all over the world means the chickens have come home to roost. And he isn't untouchable. I suspect the thing that grieves him most is the loss of his reputation. The damage to trafficked girls didn't seem to bother him. That came over loud and clear in the interview with EM.

The point of the interview was to put his side of things, which he did. The only issue I have with it, and I have watched it all the way through, more than once, plus extracts, is the not sweating business. I know what he meant but the fact is, everyone sweats and he would be dead if he didn't. He would have done better to either ignore the sweating altogether or say he does not sweat profusely.

The only issue I have with it, and I have watched it all the way through, more than once, plus extracts, is the not sweating business.’

You weren’t concerned about his continuing relationship with Epstein and his assertion that it was honourable?

You don’t need to believe that PA broke the law to see that he has no business representing the U.K. or the armed services in any way.

Gosh, I have far far more issues than non sweating which was just pathetic and an insult to even pretend.

In May 2006 an arrest warrant was issued for E for sexual assault of a minor. In July he attended Beatrice's 18th at Windsor castle

In 2008 he was convicted and jailed for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Two whole years later he pops over to NY to stay with him for four days and was guest of honour at a dinner party with him and others.
Then he breaks up with him. Apparently doing it that way and not just phoning was Andrew 'showing leadership' (his exact words) and it was the 'honourable' thing to do.

Do you regret your friendship with Jeffery Epstein?
PA...wiffle waffle....NO

And plenty more. When you actually read the transcript of the interview it's even more shocking than seeing and hearing it

@Viviennemary

In his own mind perhspaps Andrew thought he was rich and a Prince so irrestible to women young and old. Much like those ugly popstars who still managed to attract groupies as they were known. There was certainly underage illegal sex then.

I genuinely don’t think this was just in his own mind - I think this was his reality. For most of his adult life Andrew would have been fawned over by women. He was rich, privileged, a Prince, a war hero, known for being the good-looking Windsor brother. He has has models and actresses as past girlfriends. His sense of entitlement when it comes to women must be off the scale.

Anyway, I have no problem at looking at Andrew’s relationship with Epstein over the years, the terrible judgment he has shown in pretty much everything to do with that, and his ridiculous and arrogant behaviour he demonstrated as a trade envoy, and think he’s a pretty shitty person. I can think that and still think that any allegations that he has acted illegally should be properly proved in the appropriate court.

Cannot believe that people on here are questioning his guilt and worrying about miscarriages of justice.

Why has he fucked off to Balmoral? Because the Giuffre thing is just the tip of the iceberg. Old Liz knows it, everyone knows it. They're in a mess because they've realised they aren't above the law despite refusing the first attempt on service: the docs were accepted on 2nd attempt. And continuing the pretence of being divine and special is not going to work, as things have moved on (albeit slowly) since the 16th century.

Let's see what the US court decides on Monday.

You don’t need to believe that PA broke the law to see that he has no business representing the U.K. or the armed services in any way

That sums it up nicely for me

Obviously any charge has got to be issued and proved properly - not that there's much chance of that with the RF's form for meddling in legal procedures - but it becomes clearer by the day that they simply don't give a sh1t how any of this looks

What a legacy for the Queen as she moves through her last years ... but then she produced and enabled him, so ...