King Charles faces a “painful” uphill battle as Prince Andrew’s scandal threatens to overshadow important royal engagements.
After months of growing scrutiny surrounding Andrew’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein, His Majesty’s younger brother finally decided to relinquish his Duke of York title on October 17. In an official statement by Buckingham Palace, the disgraced prince acknowledged that “the continued accusations about [him] distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.”
However, giving up his dukedom was just the tip of the iceberg. With calls being made to strip Andrew of his Prince title, and his alleged victim Virginia Giuffre’s upcoming posthumous memoir, the King’s recent and upcoming engagements are at risk of being overshadowed by growing scandal.
On October 20, Charles marked his first royal engagement since Andrew’s announcement as the monarch met survivors of the recent Yom Kippur tragedy at a Manchester synagogue. Ahead of the visit, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson expressed that the King hopes that “the focus will be on the community impacted by this heinous crime rather than any other matters," per the Express UK.
Unfortunately for the Royal Family, there are “more days of pain ahead” linked to Andrew’s unravelling association with the convicted paedophile. Andrew is currently facing accusations by the family of the late Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked by Epstein and sexually assaulted by Andrew — once as a minor. She tragically passed away from suicide earlier this year.
The Mail on Sunday recently revealed that Andrew handed over Giuffre’s confidential information to police as part of an effort to “dig up dirt” on his accuser. The Metropolitan Police is said to be “actively looking into the claims.”
Moreover, Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, set for release on October 21, will most likely overshadow the King’s upcoming state visit to the Vatican, which was set to be a historic and momentous occasion.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail the book “will be toxic for Andrew,” warning it may bring “more public disgust at what is revealed.”
