Andrew was on the church walkabout this morning

[meh2022]

I was surprised (and not in a good way) to see Andrew join the rest of the royal family at the Christmas service at Sandringham church this morning. He even shook hands with at least one member of the crowd. Surely he should be kept away from the public if the royal family have any desire whatsoever to keep the monarchy going? What is Charles thinking in allowing him to join them?!

I think British royals have been idolized over the years by careful PR practice and we are now seeing some reality

Well, mention them? The Royal family meet thousands of people in the course of their jobs. The offenders you mention were incredibly devious and knew that cultivating relationships with the rich and famous would give them credence and further hide their offending.

Do the people who have relationships with offenders take on their crimes? Are they just as guilty by association? Or are they victims too?

Not a regular man.
A member of a public family that may have done dreadful things. Yes, I bet shock horror is what his victims and their families feel.

@purpledalmation

I have mentioned them

This has nothing to with 'casually meeting ' members of the public

Google each name I listed below
We know some of Andrew's friendship and activities with Epstein ..
Peter Ball has acknowledged guilt when Charles put him up in a house on his estate . The subsequent enquiry 'rebuked' Charles from or his letter of defence for Ball . Chalres claimed 'ignorance '

Educate yourself on this before stating they were just members of the public they met in passing

Oh right @purpledalmation you are the designated Andrew defender today
So you dismiss the millions paid out to a woman Andrew states he'd never met
Any thoughts on the photo of Andrew at the door of Epsteins house on New York ?
Glancing round to see if anyone saw him ?

@Novella4

I met Jimmy Saville when I was younger and liked him. He was a regular customer at my aunt and uncle's restaurant. Then after his death I found out the truth about him.

My old youth leader got arrested and convicted for rape and distributing child porn images. He isn't known on a nationwide level but in my region, the news story went viral. He was known and liked by pretty much everyone in my small town before he got caught.

These are two paedophiles/rapists that I know and associated with. I used to see the latter every Friday for youth club. Used to look up to him to be honest. Am I a bad person?

You met them

You weren't long term friends with them
You didn't write letters in their defence when they accepted cautions

Ffs. It was in London at Ghislaines house. Get your facts straight.

I didn't say specific men were just passing members of the public. I said perpetrators are good at inveigling the rich and famous to befriend them because it's the perfect cover for their crimes.

So you're saying friends and relatives of paedophiles and criminals are all guilty of their crimes? Such a naive and childish reaction.

@Prescottdanni123 Apparently by the posts on here, yes you are. Utterly ridiculous and completely devoid of any critical thinking. This type of criminal make their crimes possible by gaslighting their victims, grooming and being charismatic and charming. Their 'friends' are just as much victims. A concept certain posters can't seem to grasp.

@Novella4

I was friends with the youth leader actually. I was an assistant leader and at first didn't believe it. I defended him to anyone who would listen. And then info on the evidence they had on him leaked and it was pretty damning. He plead guilty in the end

Are you referring to William driving Andrew , Edward and Sophie to Balmoral from Aberdeen airport to see the dying Queen ?

Yes.

Except she'd been dead two hours at this point so really no reason for William to be driving the uncle who maintained contact with a convicted sex offender anywhere.

I find it odd how some people have the idea that church is not a place for anyone who may have done wrong, I see it as the absolute opposite.
Luke 5 32 "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Church seems the right place for him to me.

You meet up with them before you knew about their abuse I assume. PA met uo with Epstein after it was clear who he was. No excuses.

Church is obviously the place for all sorts of people. Known paedophile (not talking about Andrew) in the family service? Not so much. There are obviously places and occasions within church activities that certain people are not welcome.

So what. He was with his family going to church.

The only thing we 100% know he was guilty off was associating with a known sex offender. I think he is still allowed outdoors in public occasionally.

Shaking hands with the public?
He did not just go to church fucking hell.
Lots of you are happy to excuse a rapist as long as he is Royal.

This!!
Nobody cared about him going to the earlier service. He should have left it at that.

Oh stop it. He isn't a rapist, he isn't a paedophile.

He settled to end the whole circus. Tbh I'd have wanted it to go to court if I'd have been an alleged victim and had evidence.

He associated with a sex offender and was stupid and arrogant. Walking to church and shaking hands is absolutely fine imo.

Would you like him to wear a hair shirt and live in solitary confinement to atone for the allegations?

@antelopevalley

He shook hands with one person. And that person could have initiated it. I'm not saying that he should have been there because he definitely shouldn't have been there. All I'm saying is that there isn't anything Charles or the other royals could have done about it. One commentator has already pointed out that the rest of the royals definitely seemed to be keeping a distance from him on the walk to the church. It's hardly like they were all holding hands and skipping like something from a Disney movie.

Frankly, yes.

His brother has now been canonised it appears , so William must be demonised.

Both are human, both appear pretty approachable, pleasant guys - brothers who aren't getting along at the moment for whatever reason.

@knittingaddict

Prince Andrew is one person, not the entire royal family though. People on here clearly think that one bad apple has rotted the entire barrel.

I think the idea William is ice cold is an exaggeration because he is awkward in public and so quite formal.

And there is a picture of PA with his arm around VG at Ghislaine's house. So what's your point.

@CathyorClaire

You are the dictionary definition of grasping at straws. So William should have just left his grieving uncle stranded once it became apparent they were too late? The queen was dead at the funeral as well, should Andrew have stayed away from that?