The shamelessness of the British Prince Andrew is a real beating.
He has suggested that a photo of him with his arm around a teenage sex trafficking victim was faked because he has “fat fingers.” He said that the same woman’s description of pouring himself sweat at a nightclub must be a lie because he can’t sweat (he can). He attributed his week-long visit to Jeffrey Epstein to his extreme sense of honor. Don’t say anything about his love for pizza.
It is unbelievable that Andrew now appears to be using his father’s death to crawl out from under the rock of the royal exile to which his brother Charles, who wrestled with him for a long time, exiled him after the disastrous November 2019. Newsnight interview in which those and many other questionable allegations, including the cynical lie that he would cooperate in law enforcement investigations into Epstein’s crimes, were made.
When he came out of church on Sunday morning, just 48 hours after the death of his father, whose utter disdain was reserved for royals who embarrassed the family, Andrew went looking for the camera and began giving an interview in what appeared to be a unusual interview. for a news camera about how the entire royal family “all felt a great sense of loss.”
Andrew has clearly missed his media appearances. He went on and on. How grateful he was for the tribute to his father. How “calm” his father was as a man. He was also careful to suggest that his father’s death had helped put him in touch with the proletariat, saying that it “ brought me not only our loss, but actually the loss that everyone has felt, for so much people who died and lost loved ones during the pandemic. “
It was shocking not shocking to see Andrew, not a drop of sweat on him despite putting on a few extra pounds, bad British teeth and all, standing there in his black suit pretending nothing had happened, freelancing on his way to the cameras.
Perhaps we had all imagined over the past year and a half, especially the bit where Prince Charles, now more than ever the acting head of the royal family, had stripped him of all his royal patronage and kicked him out of his office at Buckingham Palace. and removed his obscene $ 300,000 a year grant from the UK taxpayer.
At first it was all rather harmless wafer coming out of Andrew’s mouth. It may not even have made the evening news. But if there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to excite the British public, it’s an insight into that most mysterious thing: how the Queen really feels, up close and private.
When asked about the effect of Philip’s death on Her Majesty, Andrew surprisingly decided to go there: “She described it as a huge void in her life,” he said, adding that she had described her husband’s passing. as a “miracle”. . “
His words were plastered across news websites and TV stations in moments.
Considering that Andrew was filmed outside the private Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Castle, where he had been along with other members of the royal family, including his younger brother, Prince Edward (who more traditionally spoke to reporters outside the chapel and said the death was a “terrible shock”) there was initially the assumption that Andrew had been given permission to speak to the media.
Had Charles changed his mind? It seemed incredible, but was Andrew back on his way to the enchanted circle, and was he entitled to free food and miles of air again?
However, leaks began to drip on Monday, suggesting the assumption was far from an accurate characterization.
Dan Wooton, the reporter who shared the news that Harry and Meghan were leaving the UK, reported in the Daily mail those sources had told him, “Prince Andrew may hope this sad situation changes things, but Prince Charles is adamant that there is no going back as long as the charges hang over him. He spoke privately in front of the camera as this is a family event. No one can stop him from doing that. “
Neither the palace nor any consulting firm held by Prince Andrew responded to inquiries from The Daily Beast.
Andrew’s fantasy of a comeback has been reported frequently over the past two years. And he’s still working on it, with a source described as “close to Prince Andrew” telling Wooton, “He’s still harboring thoughts that he can make a comeback. He sincerely thinks that is possible.”
If Andrew needs another reminder that he’s no longer welcome in public life or British sitting rooms, and that his father’s death doesn’t change anything, he might want to consider this statistic: nearly 400 people have already written to the BBC about Andrew is featured in the company’s reporting.