Prince Andrew's Royal Return: Attends Duchess of Kent’s Funeral Amid Epstein Scandal
PRINCE ANDREW'S ROYAL RETURN: HEAR THE DRAMA AND SCANDALS SURROUNDING HIS APPEARANCE AT DUCHESS OF KENT'S FUNERAL
The British monarchy's most scandalous saga has taken a dramatic turn as Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, made a stunning return to the royal fold yesterday. Despite being embroiled in a paedophile financier scandal that left him stripped of his royal duties, Andrew chose to attend the funeral of the Duchess of Kent alongside other members of the Royal Family. But what's behind this shocking move, and is it a sign that he's finally found redemption?
The Duchess of Kent's passing has brought out the who's who of British royalty, including King Charles, Prince William, and Princess Kate (now known as the Princess of Wales). However, Queen Camilla was forced to pull out due to acute sinusitis, sparking questions about her attendance at US President Donald Trump's upcoming state visit. Was it a convenient excuse or did she really need to rest?
The Epstein scandal has been reigniting in recent days after a "birthday book" made headlines with its array of messages and photos from friends, including the disgraced Lord Mandelson. It emerged that Mandelson had encouraged Epstein to "fight for early release" while he was facing charges for soliciting a minor. This development has led to fresh calls for an investigation into those linked to Epstein, including Prince Andrew.
Andrew's connections to Epstein have been well-documented, with allegations of sexual abuse by one of the financier's most prominent victims, Virginia Giuffre. The family of Ms. Giuffre has now demanded that Andrew be fully investigated and held accountable for his actions. "It doesn't matter if it's a Royal Family member or president... every single person deserves to be held to the fullest extent of the law," Sky Roberts, Ms. Giuffre's brother, told the BBC.
But despite these demands, Andrew has continued to maintain his innocence, and an out-of-court settlement with Ms. Giuffre was reached in 2022 for a reported £12 million. "Of course he's been stripped of... all of these different things and publicly shamed in certain ways, but that's not enough," Sky Roberts added. "The fact that he's still out there, that he's still living in a palace or a castle is not enough."
As the drama surrounding Andrew unfolded, the Royal Family appeared to be putting on a united front at the Duchess of Kent's funeral. The service was held at Westminster Cathedral, with soldiers from The Royal Dragoon Guards paying their respects and a piper leading the funeral cortege. A large wreath of British garden flowers was placed atop the coffin, bearing symbols of Yorkshire, where the Duchess was born.
The ceremony marked the first royal funeral to be held at the cathedral since its construction in 1903, with the last known Roman Catholic funeral for a member of the British royal family taking place nearly 500 years ago. But was Andrew's attendance simply a show of respect or did it signal a change of heart?
Only time will tell if Prince Andrew is truly sorry for his actions and willing to cooperate fully with an investigation. For now, he seems to be riding out the scandal as smoothly as possible.
