Meet Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, or, as he was formally known, Prince Andrew. Having been stripped of his “Style, Titles, and Honours” this week by the crown, Andrew is, by law, now a commoner like you and I.
The titles stripped from Andrew include Prince, HRH, and the Duke of York, and I must admit, ‘Andy’ sounds much more like the common man.
The dispossession of Andrew’s extravagant royal lifestyle and titles comes after years of controversy following his friendship with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and accusation of sexually abusing the then 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre.
In a statement from Buckingham Palace, it was announced that the disgraced former-prince would lose his royal titles and powers, and that he would subsequently move out of the Royal Lodge at Windsor. Andrew previously had a lease for the property, with fifty years remaining.
However, with a six-figure payout in his piggy bank to compensate for the move, and further plans for an annual sum of pocket money from his older brother, I am really struggling to see this as a punishment.
It is believed that Andrew will move to the Sandringham Estate, a private property owned by the Royal Family, financed by personal funds and visitor income. Located in Norfolk, the sizable estate is hardly a downgrade, proving to be double the size of the city of Stirling, and quaint enough for the royal Christmas celebrations.
Within this, a level of grandstanding is revealed—is he genuinely being exiled from his family and public affairs, or is he simply being protected through a last-ditch effort PR move?
Whilst Andrew does have a military history as a Helicopter Pilot in the Falkland War, due to extra safeguarding and privileges it would be unfair to suggest that he faced the same dangers as other airmen. He has subsequently been stripped of his honorary military titles, and the process is underway to remove his final title of Vice-admiral.
Yet, when I consider these tokenistic accolades that he received, I can’t help but be angered on behalf of other veterans who do not receive the same level of recognition. Surely we have progressed past this elitist, who-you-know attitude? When soldiers are putting their lives on the line, should meritocracy not be central to recognition?
UK law means that Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, and there are currently no plans to change this. Whilst it is very unlikely he would ever take the throne, we must consider the implications of this status remaining. Ultimately, Andrew has once again proven that you can get yourself out of any trouble when you know the right people in the right places, a common occurrence for rich, powerful men.
Andrew seems to have struck gold, he has been freed from any future work commitments, whilst retaining a grandiose roof over his head and financial support for life. Surely this is not effective in damning an accused sex offender.
“Prince Andrew, Duke of York (cropped)” by Titanic Belfast is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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Charles’ Slap on the Wrist for Andrew
Meet Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, or, as he was formally known, Prince Andrew. Having been stripped of his “Style, Titles, and Honours” this week by the crown, Andrew is, by law, now a commoner like you and I.
The titles stripped from Andrew include Prince, HRH, and the Duke of York, and I must admit, ‘Andy’ sounds much more like the common man.
The dispossession of Andrew’s extravagant royal lifestyle and titles comes after years of controversy following his friendship with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and accusation of sexually abusing the then 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre.
In a statement from Buckingham Palace, it was announced that the disgraced former-prince would lose his royal titles and powers, and that he would subsequently move out of the Royal Lodge at Windsor. Andrew previously had a lease for the property, with fifty years remaining.
However, with a six-figure payout in his piggy bank to compensate for the move, and further plans for an annual sum of pocket money from his older brother, I am really struggling to see this as a punishment.
It is believed that Andrew will move to the Sandringham Estate, a private property owned by the Royal Family, financed by personal funds and visitor income. Located in Norfolk, the sizable estate is hardly a downgrade, proving to be double the size of the city of Stirling, and quaint enough for the royal Christmas celebrations.
Within this, a level of grandstanding is revealed—is he genuinely being exiled from his family and public affairs, or is he simply being protected through a last-ditch effort PR move?
Whilst Andrew does have a military history as a Helicopter Pilot in the Falkland War, due to extra safeguarding and privileges it would be unfair to suggest that he faced the same dangers as other airmen. He has subsequently been stripped of his honorary military titles, and the process is underway to remove his final title of Vice-admiral.
Yet, when I consider these tokenistic accolades that he received, I can’t help but be angered on behalf of other veterans who do not receive the same level of recognition. Surely we have progressed past this elitist, who-you-know attitude? When soldiers are putting their lives on the line, should meritocracy not be central to recognition?
UK law means that Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, and there are currently no plans to change this. Whilst it is very unlikely he would ever take the throne, we must consider the implications of this status remaining. Ultimately, Andrew has once again proven that you can get yourself out of any trouble when you know the right people in the right places, a common occurrence for rich, powerful men.
Andrew seems to have struck gold, he has been freed from any future work commitments, whilst retaining a grandiose roof over his head and financial support for life. Surely this is not effective in damning an accused sex offender.
“Prince Andrew, Duke of York (cropped)” by Titanic Belfast is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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