Real cooperation would entail explaining why Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was shielded for so long
Last week, when King Charles was shaking hands in Dedham, Essex, a heckler, 73-year-old Richard Gadd, asked him if he had pressured cops not to investigate his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Gathered royalists dutifully jeered and hissed at the insolent Gadd. Then, this Monday, His Majesty was heckled by another gusty and outraged subject during a visit to Clitheroe train station in Lancashire.
The man shouted: “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” Reporting the incident, The Sun reassured its patriotic readers that all was well with their world: “The rest of the crowd booed and some shouted at the man to ‘shut up’ after the question was asked.”
This Wednesday came another deeply awkward moment, this time, for Prince William in Saudi Arabia. He was on a football pitch meeting female footballers, when a reporter shouted out to him: “Sir, to what extent do you think the Royal Family has done enough around the Andrew and Epstein scandal?”
Journalists in the Daily Express admiringly observed: “…he carried on with the engagement. But aides to the Prince stressed he had a job to do, and he was getting on and doing it.”
Despite the silence from their majesties to the questions, the audacious hecklers have broken through the protective circle formed around the Windsors. The public’s concerns were heard loud and clear.
I think the time has come for the people to be told, without verbal trickeries, what the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles, Prince William and the rest of the working Windsors knew about Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and what they did to try to stop it.
What conversations did they have with Sarah Ferguson? How did Ghislaine Maxwell get to go to the palaces? What did they say to Mountbatten-Windsor when he visited Epstein in New York, two years after the latter had been convicted of procuring a child for prostitution?
It’s hardly like they turned a blind eye. The Sun has just revealed that Mountbatten-Windsor was loaned £12m by his parents and brother Charles to end the civil lawsuit accusing him of sexual abuse brought by Virginia Giuffre.
The late Queen is said to have stumped up £7m for the 2022 settlement, with another £3m coming from Prince Philip’s estate a year after his death. The then-Prince Charles paid £1.5m, with other royals also chipping in.
With disquiet spreading through the population, the casual immorality the Epstein files have revealed will, I think, incite further concern and condemnation of our Royal Family. The last time I witnessed such a swell of discontent among ordinary Britons was when Princes Diana died.
A belated statements issued by the Prince and Princess of Wales says that they are “deeply concerned” at the “continued revelations” and that their thoughts “remain focused on the victims”. I don’t believe that. Nor do other sceptics. Are they only thinking of the young victims now? Why so? The insincerity and manipulation rankles.
Andrew Lownie, author of a long book on the disgraced ex-prince, spoke about these recent interventions candidly on TalkTV: “I mean, of course, one’s thinking of the victims, but I think what they need to be open about is actually what the palace knew, when they knew it and what they’ve done… what we need to do is to find out exactly how Andrew’s been protected up to now, and I think he continues to be protected.”
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Buckingham Palace says the King had “profound concern” about Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein and is ready to cooperate with any police investigation.
Real cooperation would entail explaining why Mountbatten-Windsor was shielded and coming clean about the Queen Elizabeth II’s part in enabling her second son to be who he is and do what he did.
Many Britons will find it hard to forgive these royals born to reign over us. That gives me, a republican, reasons to be hopeful.