Epstein files scandal makes Prince Andrew crisis worse than Edward VIII abdication
The crisis confronting the royal family over the revelations about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the Epstein files is more severe than the abdication of Edward VIII, according to the author of the former prince’s biography.
This was reported by The Times.
Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, stated that Mountbatten-Windsor’s actions provoked more public outrage than the abdication crisis, when the king relinquished his role to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
Speaking at the Oxford Literary Festival, Lownie mentioned that the abdication was a "three-day wonder," with the general public not fully engaging with the details at the time. He also noted that Edward’s support for the Nazi party had not yet become widely known.
While Edward resigned voluntarily from his position to marry the woman he loved, Andrew had to be stripped of his HRH title and military honors after allegations about his ongoing relationship with billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced.
Lownie remarked that the late Queen had "crossed the line" legally "a lot" when she made allowances for Andrew, who is believed to have been her favorite child.
"By the end of her life, what people don’t realize is that she was completely gaga. He [Andrew] would go up there and he would bully her into doing things. So for the last few years of her life, Charles was actually running the show, rather than the Queen," he said.
"There were MI6 officers who went to [royal] private secretaries and said, ’Look he’s been caught with $5 million in a suitcase in Kazakhstan,’ and they were sent away with a flea in their ear. The heads of the foreign office went and complained.
"He was made a vice-admiral in the navy, and that was after these allegations. She [the Queen] entertained a lot of these people. President Aliyev of Azerbaijan gave her a horse and she was thrilled.
"She, I’m afraid, abetted this. The whole family abetted this — they knew about it," he said.
He added that people in royal circles had been talking about the allegations since 2011.
"Charles is in a difficult position. He didn’t realize these Epstein files would be released — they thought they’d gotten away with it.
"Now they’re caught. They’ve got all this stuff in black and white there. On one hand, they’re saying publicly ’Of course we’ll help any inquiry,’ but I know they are putting pressure on police protection officers to not go beyond their obligations on confidentiality, people on UKTI [UK Trade & Investment, for which Andrew was an envoy] have been reminded about their pensions."
Lownie, who is working on a biography of Prince Philip, said he believed that Andrew should be charged with treason, rather than misconduct in public office. "He gave away confidential information to other countries. Also, there is insider trading there."
He expressed doubt that Andrew would be prosecuted. "They [Buckingham Palace] don’t want Andrew turning up in court saying everyone knew about this — why am I being penalized?"
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