Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was brutally savaged by a US TV star following his recent fall from grace regarding his titles. The former prince faced fresh humiliation last week after his brother, the King, stripped him of his Prince and Duke of York titles last Thursday due to his links to convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein.
A statement from Buckingham Palace stressed both the King and the Queen’s thoughts were with the victims of abuse. Andrew strenuously denies any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Defence Secretary John Healey said his department was “working to remove” Andrew’s rank of vice-admiral. He was awarded the honour on his 55th birthday in 2015. The rank is his last remaining honorary military title, as he handed back the others in 2022 due to his connections with Epstein.
Now, Saturday Night Live star Michael Che took aim at the former duke during his Weekend Update segment over the weekend.
The comedian mocked the King’s brother, saying: “Prince Andrew has been stripped of his royal title of prince due to his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.
“And Andrew says he can only become a prince again if he gets a kiss from a young princess.”
Mr Che’s comment was seen as a reference to the late Virginia Giuffre’s allegations that Epstein forced her to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17 – in New York, London, and the US Virgin Islands. Andrew has repeatedly and vehemently denied the claims.
Meanwhile, it has been claimed that Andrew routinely refused to sign off on statements that supported survivors of abuse connected to Epstein.
Charles and the Queen publicly shared their “thoughts and utmost sympathies” with “the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse” as part of the announcement.
A friend of the King and Camilla told The Sunday Times that references to victims were removed from all previous statements drafted by courtiers and issued by Buckingham Palace since Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019.
Any such communication had required Andrew’s sign-off, the paper claimed.
The friend told the paper the King had “lost patience” and his statement announcing the removal of Andrew’s Prince and Duke of York titles was “no longer a statement by committee, it’s a statement from the King”.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
