With the release of Andrew Lownie’s incendiary biography, Prince Andrew is once again in the hot seat. Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York not only digs into Andrew’s finances, but explores his ties to notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
As the royal family’s “bad boy,” the Duke of York has been dodging scandals for most of his adult life. But while the renewed scrutiny of his friendship with Epstein has reignited public outrage, palace insiders see a bright side.
Senior palace aids have found the “silver lining” in Andrew’s scandals. All the chatter surrounding Queen Elizabeth’s second son is conveniently diverting attention away from questions about the family’s finances. The prince’s long association with Epstein has drawn attention away from King Charles and Prince William’s massive wealth.
Is Prince Andrew being used as a scapegoat by the Royal Family?
According to multiple sources, Andrew is being used to deflect attention away from “more damaging truths.”
“Whenever there’s an awkward headline about royal finances … something about Andrew conveniently pops up,” an insider told Radar Online. “He’s become the family’s built-in scapegoat, the one people can safely criticize. It takes attention away from everyone else.”
Following a disastrous 2019 interview regarding Epstein, Andrew was forced to step back from his royal duties. Furthermore, in 2022 the queen stripped him of his military titles, royal patronages, and his HRH (His Royal Highness) designation.
Despite losing his official titles, the prince still lives at Royal Lodge in Windsor and travels via private jet. According to Lownie’s book, he gets financial support from “unexplained sources,” including alleged benefactors in the United Arab Emirates.
All that may change, however, when Prince William takes the throne. When he becomes king, he wants both Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson banished.
Meanwhile, “[Andrew] is the living embodiment of everything wrong with inherited power,” an insider said. “And that’s precisely why the institution needs him.”
“Every institution needs a fall guy, and Andrew fits that role perfectly,” another courtier said. “His disgrace makes everyone else look like models of duty. The family won’t say it out loud, but they’d rather see him ridiculed … than have the public asking where the money really goes.”
TELL US – DO YOU THINK WILLIAM WILL ACTUALLY BANISH HIS UNCLE WHEN HE’S KING?
