Andrew. Again.

[MrsLeonFarrell]

BBC News - Questions over Andrew's judgement and finances raised again
www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx26q9d42g1o

At this point I think we really have to ask when he has ever displayed good judgement. Thank goodness he isn't a working royal anymore.

Wow — you could be describing Donald Trump.

What I’m wondering is was this Chinese spy funding Andrew at Royal Lodge?
I read an article that said they can’t comment on who Andrew’s benefactor is, because it’s private family business.
I was under the impression that their funding is subject to public scrutiny, in particular when it comes to a case like Andrew where he has no legitimate source of income.

I've often thought that the reason that the UK and Commonwealth countries are prepared to stick with a monarchy is because the trade-off is the stability that it brings - to some extent you know what you're getting, and the direct heirs are taught to display some discipline and respect.

The danger for the monarchy is where there it starts to looks like a dynasty, and the dreaded family 'hangers on' are seen to be (or even thought to be) receiving hand-outs that they don't deserve and/or behaving badly.

Donald Trump's treading a fine line here too - and look what just happened to Rupert Murdoch and his heir(s). Dynasties like these aren't stable for more than a couple of generations. (And don't even get me going on the Julio-Claudians.) Ruthlessly streamlined monarchies and presidential successions fare better.

I could of course be wildly wrong.

Point of detail: sex with trafficked women was not outlawed in any UK jurisdiction until 2015. Events between sleazebag Andrew and Virginia Giuffre were at least a decade before that.

That doesn't make him any less despicable - something can be all kinds of wrong without being an actual crime at the time.

He's so arrogant.

He's the man who purposely rammed into the gates at Windsor Park rather than drive the long way round!

Today I was discussing this with some friends. They mentioned that Andrew had attended a golf club event nearby and every single person said how rude and arrogant he was. He arrived late and was just an obnoxious git. Anne and Edward work hard and know the ropes, why is he the exception?

Haven't read the full thread, but I remember at the time of seeing him pictured with Epstein and the terrible 'sweaty armpits and pizza express' interview, I just thought he's not the sharpest tool in the box and is likely very easily exploitable because you just need to stroke his ego a bit and he'll believe anything.

These new spy revelations are not a surprise. Andrew is just a bit dim! and that makes him a very very easy target and extremely manipulatable. Add his arrogance into the mix, and he's a recipe for disaster and a big liability for the royals!

(I feel quite sorry for Beatrice and Eugene who seem like fairly nice young women)

(I feel quite sorry for Beatrice and Eugene who seem like fairly nice young women)

I'm rather of the opinion that the apples didn't fall far from the tree. The whole House of York is a liability.

The royals aren't the only family with one member like Andrew. He's the shameless, entitled black sheep.

This is true. In another, less privileged life, he'd be the sort of relative one often sees mentioned in AIBU and Relationships threads.

Can you imagine the advice? I see that the papers this morning have headlines saying Andrew shouldn't walk to church on Christmas Day, i hope this gives the family leverage to stop him.

I'd say their PR planted that. To make it OK for them to do it since they seem to need balls to do anything off their own bat WRT Andrew.

Oh yes, they are very weak when it comes to making decisions like this

Maybe. It's hard to know what exactly is going on. I do think that for someone like Charles, it is hard to ban Andrew knowing it would upset his nieces.

Taken from a news article..

Sources close to the government of the United Arab Emirates claim the duke is considering a permanent move to the Gulf, where his royal status would still confer a degree of respect, according to the Sunday Times. This would likely further alarm the royal family.

I doubt their PR planted that

Its more likely that it’s a correspondent who remembers what happened the first Christmas after That Interview and is speculating in print what many of us would have been thinking

Well if he does that, it would become clear to the world that he’s cut off from his family, and it’s unlikely that anyone would cultivate him for his (no longer extant) connections.

A form of exile might be a good way ahead. If he did that, would Fergie go with him?

WRT him going to the Gulf, he would definitely be a loose cannon there. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

They should buy him a small house in Montecito. Fergie and Meghan can do yoga and walk the dogs together. Fergie can give parenting advice. Andrew can golf.

He simply can't be involved in the Sandringham church walk. The public didn't even want to see him before this.

I saw that story about church and was 👀 erm was RF on this thread gauging likely level of outrage 😆

he is literally the embarrassing, sleazy uncle with the shady finances that no-one wants to sit next to at Christmas 🤮

He'd fit right in with some royal families in that region of the world.

I know church is about forgiveness. But no, Andrew can't do that walk anymore. He keeps getting worse.

I'm not C of E, but I was always under the impression that to be forgiven, you have to be sorry.

Yes you are right and far from being sorry, he's not even slightly embarrassed.

Not just be sorry, but also have a firm purpose of amendment.