Is Prince Andrew's protestation too little too late?

You are right they have advisors, but they only advise. If the people they advise choose to ignore them there is not much they can do,

I thought the Royal Family had advisors. Where were they with regard to this? I don't know if Prince Andrew has done anything wrong or not, but he and his now ex-wife have either made poor choices or been badly advised. I feel very sorry for the queen, she is a conscientous and hardworking Monarch and this must be awful for her, as it would be for any mother.

wicklow , if/when Charles becomes King ,William and Kate
will be very much to the fore. Charles has slimmed down the numbers already. If Harry calms down and Megan learns her role in the firm, it will work . Think how popular Charles and
Diana were ,at the start, the Queen still had the respect of many . Charles has a life time of learning what works and what doesn’t. He had training by the Queen Mother just as the
Queen was prepared for her role by her grandmother Queen Mary.
And Kate has already learned and accepted her role, support for William, doesn’t push herself.

Annibach, I agree with you about William and Kate, I just wish they could follow the Queen instead of Charles and Camilla. I don't think they will be so popular.

I agree MOnica, PA was probably too arrogant to listen to advice about ending his friendship with Epstein, I think we have to assume that palace officials will have read the news and spoken to him about the matter. Last night's statement about not knowing what was going on was pathetic, even if Andrew was not involved in any of the sordid and illegal activities himself, he certainly knew about it as he continued to socialise with Epstein after his conviction. But, Andrew will not go into a courtroom, people like him don't, but this may have put the tin lid on any future get rich quick and sell your royal connections business plans in America, even with the reptile Trump as President.

Agree Monica and Beckett

France is now involved, French citizens in America?

Epstein’s contacts ? what more useful for setting up a business, it wasn’t going to be a hamburger stall was it ?

William and Kate’s engagement 2010, down the line goes Andrew . Charles refused to allow Andrews daughters to take on royal duties ! Andrew was once second in line to the throne , bump down he goes.

Edward is already involved with The Duke of Edinburgh Awards and will become Duke of Edinburgh, Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh, Fergie is not accepted yet she and Andrew are living together, why not America, they would be ROYALS there .

If Andrew did have a dalliance with a 17 year old would he check the age of consent ?

Anniebach - I suspect you are right. Epstein had the kudos of being on friendly terms with a prince and Andrew's business venture would receive financial backing. As I said he rarely does anything unless there is something in it for him.

Both he and his ex-wife have milked their connections for all they are worth.

I think PA is just too coarse-grained to realise that there was a problem with continuing a friendship with someone who has been in prison for anything, let alone a sex crime.

I also think that he probably was too coarse-grained and unobservant to really take on board that some of the girls he met might not be legally of age in the jurisdiction he was in.

Lets face it the emotional intelligence of a lot of men is not that high,

Beckett he intended starting a business in America next year, Epstein handed over money for Fergie to pay her debts,
money ?

Callistemon my mother went for a holiday to family when she was 14, was introduced to my father who was 16, they were allowed to go for a walk after chapel with his mother and her aunt walking behind them ?, they married six years
later so in love then and all their married life.

wicklow, the royal family survived after the abdication, after Margaret’s wild private life. Andrew is 8th in line so a minor royal. The future for the Windsors is William, Kate and their children .

I think the main concern here is not that Andrew was actively involved in the abuse but that he must have been aware or at least suspect what was happening.

Remember, as has been said previously, he continued his friendship with Epstein even after he had served time for similar offences. Andrew would have seen young girls coming and going and even given his obvious lack of brainpower must have suspected something.

There was obviously some advantage for him to maintain the friendship (he has rarely been known to do something unless there was something in it for him)

There was opposition to it M0nica and George VI made Elizabeth wait until she was 21 until they got engaged.
She is a strong and determined woman and was probably a girl who knew her own mind, certainly no hapless victim.

I suspect some GN members met their future husbands when they were very young, At an uncle's funeral recently my cousin said his parents met at primary school when they were both 9. Neither ever went out with anyone else, married at 22 and were happily married for over 60 years. Is that 'grooming'?

Many people have been brought together by friends or family members thinking they would get on well together or married someone they met through their parents because both sets of parents were close friends. Is that 'grooming'?

Is a blind date at 16 'grooming'?

On the other hand in all these examples if the couple had not got on they could just have walked away from each other.

Given the time(1930s) I can well see that if the monarch and family were visiting Dartmouth, the powers that be would appoint the most socially senior cadet to take the children round and if one of the children was at an inpressionable, just getting interested in boys age and their guide is a dish, then he will arouse interest.

I actually understood that there was considerable palace opposition to the heiress to the British throne marrying some tuppenny halfpenny princling with out money influence or even a country his family ruled over.

I'm no fan of the Royals, and agree that PA was stupid to carry on meeting Epstein after his conviction, but how much evidence is there that PA was actually involved in this sordid matter?

I'm not saying he wasn't, btw, but suggesting that until PA is brought to trial and convicted then he's innocent in law.

He's never going to be tried, or asked to testify, is he?

It will all be covered up as usual. I cannot imagine what things are going to be like after the Queen dies. The respect is dwindling daily.

paddyann the inferences in your posts are very unpleasant but I do realise that your hatred of the royals may colour the facts as you see them.

My friend met her DH at age 14 - no grooming, just stars in her eyes which in fact are still there 60 years later (he is a lovely man).
I think that can happen with many people and happened to HM. I doubt that Elizabeth saw much of Philip in the years from then because WW2 intervened.

He was never the sharpest knife in the box - my guess is he was advised not to continue his association with Epstein but chose to ignore it.

I recall reading he would order his protection officers to drive his friends home and if they objected he would lose his temper and become abusive.

I feel sorry for the Queen, she has dedicated her life to the country and has been let down by him.

Bang on Annie!

Yes Lessismore , no surprise they met when young, second cousins .

Andrew knew Epstein had been found guilty and served a prison sentence yet continued to meet him and now claims
it was a mistake and error .

He should now stop making stupid denials , the press won’t give this up, and surely the most ardent royalists can’t defend him.

I think they are 2 completely different conversations.

The Queen was young when she met Phillip....so what?

PA is a dubious character, how on earth could he not have known about his delightful friend? I don't buy it.

It’s so nasty Sparkle and it will be believed by some.

As for 1,000 lovers, how on Earth can anyone know this.

Exactly, Annie ... not even the person doing the loving, I would suspect, unless he was keeping a spreadsheet.

Really paddyann ?

Having sex with a boy you met at 13 is normal practice for you ?

He just thinks its normal ...given his parents ages when they met !!

Ahh thanks Annibach,
Well PA is either very naive or the opposite.?