Queen Elizabeth dumps Prince Andrew. The driving forces behind the decision are said to have been Prince William and Prince Charles, a palace insider reveals.
Prince Andrew, 61, faces a civil lawsuit in the United States. The allegation: sexual abuse. The 61-year-old has now had to give up his royal patronage and military title. According to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, Prince Charles, 73, and Prince William, 39, are said to have been the driving forces behind Queen Elizabeth’s decision, 95.
“With the consent and assent of the Queen, the Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronage have been returned to the Queen,” the royal family said in a statement on Thursday. The civil lawsuit for sexual abuse that threatens him in the United States after a judge’s decision will have to be contested by Andrew “as a private individual.” Virginia Giuffre, 38, has accused the monarch’s son of sexually abusing her when she was a minor.
Prince Charles + Prince William: They are “extremely angry” with Andrew
According to the Daily Mail, the Queen’s decision to strip Andrew of titles and ranks was not easy. After all, Andrew has long been considered her favorite son. Nevertheless, the “merciless and quick” decision was “discussed in detail” within the British royal family, as a palace insider reveals. Above all, Andrew’s brother Charles and his son William would have encouraged the queen to take the final approach. “It’s about the survival of the institution at any cost. That has always been the case and will always be the case,” the newspaper quoted the anonymous source as saying. “They made this decision to protect the institution from the flying shrapnel.”
After all, the father-son duo has been upset about Prince Andrew for a long time. “Prince William and Prince Charles were extremely angry that he brought the royal family into disrepute,” royals expert Angela Levin told The Sun. The decision is said to have been made after a 90-minute conversation between the Queen and Prince Andrew. Earlier, the Queen is said to have spoken to Prince Charles over the phone and to William in person.
Sources used: dailymail.co.uk, thesun.co.uk