A Very Royal Scandal (Amazon Prime)

[MrsLeonFarrell]

Apologies if there is a thread about this.

I haven't watched Scoop, because Netflix won't work on my old TV box so I have no idea how this compares. I watched all 3 episodes and found it bizarre. I did like that it didn't include any royals outside the York family.

What struck me the most was how sheltered Andrew's team must have been to think him doing an interview was a good idea. I'm just a member of the public and I wouldn't have advised him to speak for himself going only by what I read about him before Epstein was even heard of. Why on earth would anyone advise him to do this? Why did they think it had gone well? And why has he not just retired out of the public view and accepted there is no way back.

The arrogance of some people is astounding. I don't even think it's a royal thing but more a monied sense of entitlement, although ironically he didn't seem to have much money.

Anyone else seen it?

Prince Philip wasn’t exactly pure as the driven snow was he? He seems to have been quite a distant parent to all his children and probably didn’t know anything about it. I don’t get the impression he had close relationship with any of his children.

Suspect Philip would have encouraged his son

They have a different outlook to normal people

I don't think he would have encouraged him to be friends with a paedophile. Philip supported the monarchy and the Queen and would have known what a mess it would create.

But Philip got older and his grip on the family loosened.

Yes, you're right

But he probably didnt mind him shagging young girls

Was there something about HMTQ and PP marriage and infidelity?

There is a 10 year age gap between Anne and Andrew - thats unusual - maybe the marriage was under strain and PA was the negotiated 'patch up baby'?

So HMTQ favoured / indulged him and PP kept out of their relationship?

There are rumours Phil isnt Andrews father. Phil was a serial shagger ( allegedly). That may explain why Phil didn't put his foot down. Or maybe he simply didn't care either.

I watched half the first episode and found it dull

could be my unsettled brain

does it get better? I thought Scoop was excellent.

Andrew wasn’t a paedophile for the hundredth time. He wasn’t sexually interested or active with children.

why wasn't Philip giving him what for?

I suspect Randy was Philip's favourite son too.

Lots of stories that he was irritated by Charles' sensitivity. He sent him to a bleak school he hated to 'toughen him up' and never relented despite his obvious misery. Eddie ducked the manly marines in favour of the theatre.

Randy was not only the eldest of the second chance family (huge plus in family dynamics) but turned out to be a spirited war hero in the mould of his father.

Indulged by both.

Who has said he was? He wasn't

I think there is a mis-understanding a few posts ago. One person was talking about Andrew being friends with a paedophile and it was read, perhaps in haste, as Andrew being described as a paedophile.

There is a 10 year age gap between Anne and Andrew - thats unusual - maybe the marriage was under strain and PA was the negotiated 'patch up baby'?

Their lives that decade weren’t usual either though. Charles was born in November 1948, Anne just under two years later in August 1950. Just 18 months later George VI died and Elizabeth was Queen, not just of the UK but of a large number of realms. If they had been thinking of expanding their family again in 1952, that would have pretty much coincided with her accession.

Pregnancy was very much hidden away in the 1950s. It’s not hard to imagine the new Queen, her husband, her mother and her advisers felt she needed to be visible and involved for the period immediately afterwards?

it has certainly been written by biographers that she very much wanted a larger family and so pushed to have more children when her reign was well settled.

Oh sorry! Yes that’s the case.

I was referring to Epstein, a convicted paedophile, and Andrew's friendship with him. I don't think Philip would have approved of that friendship.

I don't think there is any evidence that Andrew was not Philip's son. The monarch having children from an affair would be an extremely serious thing and I can't see the late Queen doing that.

That's aside from the fact that she always seemed devoted to her husband and committed to her faith.

Yes the very idea is ridiculous

I do have sympathy with his daughters. They never invited any of this.

You are wrong. The girl's name has never been publicly revealed.
She does look very young indeed.

And Sarah Ferguson got a terrible divorce settlement. I had not realised she was at risk of losing custody of her daughters. Maybe this is why she accepted so little money in return for joint custody?

They were happy to accept money and gifts from their fathers strange friends without asking questions, snd have dodgy people at their birthday parties. They really must be dumb as bricks or shockingly naive

This - exactly what I was thinking. Also, is there nothing in place to protect the Crown in terms of intelligence so they don't get mixed up with the wrong people?.

PP and the Profumo Affair?

The Palace is crawling with advisers and Intelligence. I suspect the problem is that some of the people they are advising aren't very intelligent, yet think they are so don't want to listen to the advice of people they see as their inferiors. There's not a lot you can do if you advise but people ignore you. I suspect there is an element of deference amongst staff too so people who work for the RF will do as they say. Like Prince Andrews adviser for the interview.

I've only watched the first episode-I am so worried Michael Sheen is going to make me believe Andrew is innocent!!!

I don't think that will happen but it does depend on what you think he is guilty of.

Did he sleep with Virginia Guiffre?
Did he know she was trafficked?

I think these are separate questions. I would definitely think the answer to the first was yes, I don't think they were clear on the second.

Andrew's downfall is depicted as happening because he didn't show any empathy for Epstein's victims and didn't show any regret or apologise for his friendship with Epstein, even after he was convicted.

Actually I'm pretty glad the arrogant man didn't worm his way out of everything.