A Buckingham Palace spokesperson has issued a rare statement regarding King Charles amid the ongoing scandal surrounding his brother, Prince Andrew.
Last week, Prince Andrew, 65, announced he would no longer use his Duke of York title amid the allegations against him. He also gave up remaining honours, including his Order of the Garter membership.
Andrew has faced scandal for some years now over his association with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew was accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexual assault. Ms Giuffre alleged she was made to have sex with the prince in the early 2000s after being trafficked by Epstein. Andrew has always vehemently denied the accusations.
Amid mounting pressure and the release of Ms Giuffre’s posthumous memoir this week, the palace has emphasised the king’s focus on “duty and service”.
Buckingham Palace issues statement over King Charles amid Prince Andrew scandal
The king’s spokesperson shared the statement after Charles visited Manchester on Monday (October 20). He met with members of the community impacted by a recent synagogue attack.
“This is the king continuing with duty and service in his longstanding mission to bring communities together, particularly in times of challenge,” the spokesperson said, as reported by the BBC.
They added pointedly: “He hopes very much that the focus will be on the community impacted, rather than any other matters.”
Although not named, “other matters” reportedly refers to Prince Andrew’s ongoing scandal. The royal is once again under the spotlight following the publication of Ms Giuffre’s memoir.
The book revisits claims that she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew. The prince has vehemently denied all allegations.
According to royal sources, the claims around Andrew and his links to Epstein are being treated with “very great concern” behind palace walls and “should be examined in the appropriate ways to the fullest extent”.
One insider stressed that the royal family’s focus remains on the victims of Epstein’s abuse and the “whole network of girls and young women who were abused and treated appallingly”.
ED! has contacted reps for Buckingham Palace for comment.
Prince Andrew will no longer use royal title
Last Friday (October 17), Prince Andrew announced he would no longer use his Duke of York title.
He also gave up his prestigious Order of the Garter membership. Andrew became a Knight of the Garter in 2006.
However, he remains a prince as the son of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
He hopes very much that the focus will be on the community impacted, rather than any other matters.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further,” Andrew said in an official statement. “I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Adding further pressure, new claims later emerged alleging that Prince Andrew may have attempted to obtain personal information about Ms Giuffre from his police protection officers in 2011, including her social security number. This is despite his public insistence that he had no recollection of ever meeting her.
During his now-infamous 2019 Newsnight interview, Andrew told the BBC: “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady. None whatsoever.”
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed they are actively reviewing the new information.
Read more: Princess Beatrice ‘visits dad Prince Andrew at Royal Lodge’ after title announcement
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