My husband had relatives who ran a family business – 3 generations (and multiple branches) worth, at one point – so I understand that working en famille can be fraught with all sorts of fraughty things. And it’s got to be even worse when everything your family does is out in the public. Let alone when everything your family does is paid for by the public. Let alone when you yourself have led a somewhat feckless and dissolute life – feckless and dissolute even by the standards of the British Royal Family.
As is the case of Prince Andrew, Duke of York whose lost a cushy gig cutting ribbons, showing up for exhibitions, and doing whatever else “full-time working members” of the royal family do. As gigs go, Prince Andrew’s was pretty good. He was paid quite a bit – plus travel and expenses - with no heavy lifting in return.
It was a job – the only one he’s held in the nearly 20 years since he left the Royal Navy - that gave him plenty of time to swan around with charmers like Jeffrey Epstein. And maybe even – as is alleged – plenty of time to do something a bit more than swan around with some of the teenage girls that Epstein specialized in exploiting.
The precipitating event that prompted Queen Elizabeth to give the royal pink slip to her second son was an interview Andrew did with .the BBC in which he attempted to explain away his relationship with Epstein.
It was pretty much a fiasco.
There was his failure to show much sympathy for the Epstein’s victims.
He said that he’d stayed at Epstein’s place in New York, even after Epstein had done time as a convicted sex offender, because it was “convenient.” And, I’m sure, the price was right.
Andrew also gave a laughable – even if it is true – explanation of why a woman who claims to have had Epstein-forced sex with Andrew on three occasions is not being truthful. Among other things, Virginia Giuffre has said that Andrew was a sweaty dancer.
Tut, tut, saith the prince. It couldn’t possibly be moi. Not that royals don’t sweat. It’s that Andrew has a condition, stemming from his war action in the Falklands, that prevents him from sweating.
Andrew was allowed to say that it’s his choice to withdraw from royal duties, but the decision was the Queen’s, with a big boost from Andrew’s older brother, who told their mother that Andrew’s behavior was putting a serious hurt on the monarchy. (Oh, not that…)
Off with his head! Or his income, at any rate.
The cut off will be painful.
The prince's access to public money to fund travel and expenses will end.
For example, a three-day visit to Bahrain by the prince on behalf of the UK government in April 2018 cost £16,272, paid for by the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant.
The Sovereign Grant is public money which pays for the cost of official royal in exchange for the surrender by the Queen of the revenue from the Crown Estate. (Source: BBC)
And many of the organizations that Andrew has been associated with are pulling back. No one, it seems, wants Prince Andrew’s name and style on their letterhead.
It’s not just Andrew who’s losing out. Andrew has tried to put his daughters – Beatrice and Eugenie – on something closer to the economic footing that William and Harry (who are much closer in the line of succession) enjoy. If anything, the girls may find their paid appearances pared down. And there may not be much appetite for paying a $2M bill for Beatrice’s upcoming wedding, which they did for Eugenie.
Bet that’s not gong down all that well with Bea.
Although Andrew’s financial wings have been clipped, he does have a little something to fall back on: his allowance.
There is also an annual payment to the prince from the Privy Purse - the Queen's private income - recorded in 2011 as being £249,000.
A princely enough sum for most people, but one which precludes pricey trips to Bahrain.
Asked about whether this funding would continue, Buckingham Palace said only that the Duke of York's office was funded privately by the Queen.
And he’s not being kicked out of his free housing, either.
Freed up from royal duties, Andrew will have more time to devote to legal matters.
Lawyers for Epstein's victims have urged the prince to speak to US police.
Andrew’s getting a lot of advice here about whether to go voluntarily or wait to be called. I did read somewhere that his personal lawyer has warned him to stay out of the United States for the rest of his life.
Even if there’s no criminal actions against him, it’s easy to imagine a victim getting a civil judgement that would entitle them to a few coins from Andrew’s Privy Purse allowance.
In case you’re worried that we won’t be hearing any more from Prince Andrew, “it will not be a complete retirement” for him.
It is understood the prince will continue to support his entrepreneur programme, Pitch@Palace, although it will take place separately from the palace.
So he’ll need a new brand. Pitch@BackseatOfMyBentley?
Prince Andrew's attendance at Royal Family engagements, such as the Trooping of the Colour, Remembrance Sunday or Christmas at the family's estate in Sandringham, Norfolk, is not thought to be affected.
Mostly, however, “his public life is over.”
And the monarchy is shaken.
Yeah, well, shaken but maybe not stirred to do much about real reform.
Andrew’s parents – Elizabeth (93) and Philip (98) – have both lived to great old age, so Andrew, who’s just 59, could have a good few decades in front of him.
But is he employable? Forget about age discrimination. How many jobs are there for someone who was a royal glad-hander? With atrocious judgement.
Poor Andrew may need to get by on his allowance. Or maybe he could sell his story to a tabloid. Wouldn’t that just make the royals crazy…
No comments:
Post a Comment