King Charles III is facing renewed pressure after a vocal group of Royal Family supporters called for a rethink of Prince Andrew’s continued exclusion from public royal life. This demand has reignited debate around one of the monarchy’s most damaging scandals.
Although Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has never been convicted of a crime, his fall from grace following his links to Jeffrey Epstein remains one of the darkest chapters in modern royal history.
THE BACKDROP
Public opinion largely turned against Prince Andrew after his widely criticised BBC Newsnight interview, where he denied meeting Virginia Giuffre and made controversial claims that further damaged his credibility.
In 2022, Andrew reached a multi-million-pound out-of-court settlement with Giuffre. In the agreement, he acknowledged that it was “known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls” and expressed regret over his association with the disgraced financier.
By October 2024, Andrew had agreed to stop using his royal titles, effectively ending his public identity as Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
PUBLIC OPINION VS A VOCAL MINORITY
While most Britons believe his removal from royal duties was justified, a small but loud minority disagrees.
A YouGov poll published last October showed that 91% of Britons hold a negative view of Prince Andrew, yet around 4% reportedly still support him — a group that has grown increasingly vocal online.
On platforms such as The Royal Forums and Mumsnet, some users have described Andrew’s treatment as excessive, with one calling it a “medieval witch-hunt,” while another argued that “nothing will ever be good enough” for critics.
Others point to Andrew’s military service in the Falklands War and express sympathy for Sarah Ferguson, whose own reputation suffered alongside his downfall.
A ROYAL DILEMMA FOR KING CHARLES
This renewed debate presents an uncomfortable challenge for King Charles, who is said to have personal sympathy for both Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, despite the reputational damage their controversies caused the monarchy.
The King’s priority, according to royal watchers, is to allow the Royal Family to move beyond what has been described as an “annus horribilis”, and let the disgraced duke fade quietly from public view.
However, the lingering impact of the Epstein scandal — which severely tarnished the monarchy’s image worldwide — means the issue refuses to disappear entirely.
While there is no indication of an official return for Prince Andrew, the emergence of renewed public debate highlights how unresolved his legacy remains — and why it continues to be a sensitive headache for the reigning monarch.
