Prince Andrew: the British royal brought down by scandal

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) -Once widely reputed to be Queen Elizabeth's favourite son and feted as a dashing young military officer, Britain's Prince Andrew will now always be seen in the public eye as the royal who was accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl.

Andrew, 65, said on Friday he would give up his title of Duke of York after years of criticism about his connections to the late, disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The brother of King Charles was accused by Virginia Giuffre of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager at properties owned by Epstein or his associates, and in February 2022 he made an undisclosed payment to settle a U.S. lawsuit.

BY THE QUEEN'S SIDE

While he admitted no wrongdoing, Andrew - who had already stepped down as a working royal over his relationship with Epstein and following a disastrous BBC interview in which he had hoped to clear his name - was stripped of his military links, royal patronages and "His Royal Highness" moniker.

"I never have really partied," he told the BBC. "I was single for quite a long time in the early 80s but then after I got married I was very happy and I've never really felt the need to go and party and certainly going to Jeffrey's was not about partying."

Increasingly unloved by the public, he was cast aside by his family who saw him as an embarrassment who might cause lasting damage to their whole institution.

Only his late mother seemed to retain her affections, allowing him to escort her into a memorial service for her husband Prince Philip in March 2022.

His public appearances thereafter were limited to major family occasions such as the funeral of the queen later that year and his brother's coronation in 2023. 

Earlier in his career, he served in the navy for 22 years and in 2001 he was named the United Kingdom's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, a role he held until he was pilloried for his connections to Epstein.

Until that point, Andrew was probably best known for his 1986 marriage to the vivacious, flame-haired Sarah Ferguson, or "Fergie" as she was dubbed by the press.

They separated in 1992, not long after he moved to a desk job at the Ministry of Defence so he could be at home more. It was a year of travails and scandals for the royal family which the queen described as an "annus horribilis".

Andrew was said to be devastated by the break-up from his wife, who described him as a gentle man who deserved to be loved. 

The couple had two children, Beatrice and Eugenie, and the family remained close and on good terms after they divorced in 1996, going on holiday together and sharing the same house.

'AIR MILES ANDY'

After leaving the military, Andrew's personal life still hit the headlines. Tabloids linked him to a series of women, from swimwear models to entrepreneurs. Photographs appeared of Andrew cavorting on yachts or sunbathing surrounded by topless women. The papers dubbed him "Air Miles Andy" for his jetset lifestyle.

But his long-term friendship with Epstein, who was jailed in 2008 for child sex offences, began to haunt him. He was forced to quit his roving trade ambassador job in 2011 and Giuffre filed her allegations against him in 2015.

To critics, his downfall was a consequence of an arrogance and sense of entitlement. A former royal protection officer told an ITV documentary that Andrew would throw tantrums if the teddy bears on his bed were moved.

With his reputation declining, Andrew turned his focus to a scheme called "Pitch@Palace", which aimed to use his royal influence to help young tech entrepreneurs find partners and investors.

But his royal world came crashing down not long after he gave what turned out to be a calamitous interview to BBC TV to explain why Giuffre's account of meeting him sweating and dancing at a London nightclub before having sex with him could not be true.

He was ridiculed for saying he went to see Epstein in New York to tell him he could no longer be seen with him, for saying Giuffre's story was wrong because he was visiting a pizza restaurant to celebrate his daughter's birthday on the night in question, and for saying he was unable to sweat.

He was also criticised for failing to show sympathy for those who say they were abused by Epstein and for saying he was not sorry about his friendship with the financier. 

"I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein," he said in a later statement as he quit official royal duties. But it came too late to save his reputation.

(Writing by Michael HoldenEditing by William Schomberg and Rosalba O'Brien)