Does anyone share my view that they only decided to finally pull the trigger on Prince Andrew to save the Monarchy

[artemisia1]

and NOT because of "new information"?

It is inconceivable that MI5 and MI6 were unaware of enough of his activities to invoke the United Kingdom's "Official Secrets Act":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Secrets_Act_1911

or that they did not have evidence of either/and gross sexual and financial "improprieties".

Anyone agree with my assessment? Disagree?

[Wednesdays]

1. The monarchy isn't in trouble.

The Brits have as much chance at abolishing the monarchy as we have in removing The Felon from the White House.

[artemisia1]

7. Okay, "Protect" then. /nt

[stopdiggin]

12. which is more than a little different. - - -(nt)-

[artemisia1]

17. Take it outside. Both terms work.

[malaise]

42. You asked a question and then accused the first person who disagreed

with you of protecting them.
Hmmmmm. I’ll pass

[artemisia1]

20. Beg to differ.

[Wednesdays]

22. Um, what?

You said "Okay, 'Protect" then."



Show me how the monarchy is crumbling. I'll wait.

[artemisia1]

23. Both work. I was indulging you. It has been on the downslide for decades and only QE2 kept it together in the post-War

era. Monarchical privilege is deeply unpopular in the UK and many have thought that Charles might be the last Monarch. William's popularity, relative, at least, may keep this from being true.

Of course you'll disagree, but this is not a hill I'm willing to die on. If you are bent out of shape by an alternative view, then, by all means, take it outside...

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

33. it's strange that these Western countries still have royalty: UK, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands

[DURHAM D]

2. Don't know about saving the royals but

I hope the press finally stops picking on Harry.

[artemisia1]

5. The British press invented sleazy gossip "reporting". They were determined to sabotage his marriage to Meghan. That

being said, Harry is, imho, sometimes his own worst enemy. Believing that does not mean that I don't acknowledge that both press and family have often treated him poorly.

He wanted to stay in the Army, iirc, but they wouldn't let him. Both he and "the Firm", or Royal Family, would have been better served had they respected his wishes and choices. He was good at it and was content there.

[mercuryblues]

3. That and this is a way to get rid of Fergie.

[shanti]

30. Well

Seeing that she was involved with Epstein, this will be good. Her daughters were profiting off of him as well

[markodochartaigh]

4. I agree.

I would imagine that there was a degree of willful ignorance or plausible deniability. But if Randy Andy had been a chimney sweep he would have gone up in smoke decades ago without a second thought. I do wonder if there is more among the royal houses of Europe. I heard something about the Norwegian royal's adopted son. I doubt that the scandal would completely topple the English royals. Maybe the next generation would have to step up immediately and the king immediately step down. I saw a picture of Randy in the back seat of a car today and he looked like he was was very worried about being fitted for a new cravat.

[Wednesdays]

9. Again, the monarchy will still be intact after all of it

Unless new information comes out implicating Charles directly, we won't have a King William anytime soon.

[Jacson6]

6. I think that picture of him over that young girl was the end for him.

Charles may have not told the crown to prosecute him, but he probably nodded his head when it was discussed.

Andrew is the very definition of a dirty, old man.

Sheesh!

[artemisia1]

8. Imagine being a trafficked teen girl and having that oaf on top of you. I bet that picture was the absolute tamest they

could find of him to release.

[AZJonnie]

10. Feel like this is a "take what we can get" situation TBH

Given the 20+ year interim w/o charges related to Virginia, it's reasonable to assume there never would be. Just the messenger here, nobody shoot me

Thus, it would be GREAT poetic justice if the asshole paid a stiff criminal penalty directly due to other illegal shit he did around Epstein, that was eventually unearthed in his correspondences.

That'd be a pretty decent outcome, given I thought he'd never pay any price.

[artemisia1]

11. I agree, they sat on the Virginia evidence for self-serving reasons. It is a shame she couldn't see him in the metal

bracelets. At least some slight justice may be administered and I agree we should take this gratefully.

[AZJonnie]

21. I'm not entirely sure who sat on it, or even if it was consciously sat on

But the most diplomatically correct storyline is probably that the FBI "missed it" because they were focused on the sex crime aspect, plus it was not a US security breach, so I expect that'll be the spiel. No telling how long the UK has had it, but I bet they had it before they stripped Andrew of title, and that move was part of the overall prosecution

[artemisia1]

25. Palace security security at the Royal Lodge initially didn't allow process servers to hand him the lawsuit directly, UK

courts didn't require him to be deposed in the Giuffre case and it was made clear to Giuffre's lawyers that getting such an order would be difficult to impossible given his stature, and, finally, UK intelligence HAD to know how dirty Andrew was, including likely chargeable offences.

[usonian]

13. Law of the Mafia. When someone is out of line ...

redacted scene from Goodfellas.

An earlier post said that Melania is moving out.
I suspect that Putin is ready to turn his puppet into firewood.
And let her know to get safely away.


From Russia, with Love.

[stopdiggin]

14. Not really. My opinion - the people that are

ardent opponents of 'the family ' - have uniformly despised them, for a whole variety of reasons, for a long, long time. Yeah?

I doubt very seriously if this has really changed a lot of minds, regarding the royal family in general.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Ilsa]

15. I think they scheduled out these events so Andrew

would no longer be a prince when they arrested him.

[Raine]

18. Definitely nt

[Emrys]

19. No, not at all.

Andrew no longer being technically a royal certainly doesn't hurt efforts to investigate, but all this has been bubbling under in the UK press for quite some time, and the dam was bound to burst eventually.

[Blue Full Moon]

24. There were calls for Charles to resign

[Kaleva]

31. I gather it's a very small minority

[RockRaven]

26. They are making a big show of taking him to task for money stuff to distract from

the royals' and the governments' knowledge and complicity in the pedo stuff.

Since he can't be salvaged, and isn't worth saving anyway, they will flood the zone with money scandal details to dilute and distract.

[Irish_Dem]

27. The monarchy is taking a big hit.

Charles and William are worried.

William is more in touch with reality and he is very worried.

He wants to clean house and downsize the monarchy.
Small group of trustworthy royals.

[artemisia1]

28. This. You stated it better than I did.

[ColoringFool]

29. AKA, No Sussexes And No Yorks (Mountbatten-Windsors?).

Only the Heir Apparent and family; Princess Anne and family; and Prince Edward and family (Sophie is known to be very loyal and hard-working).

[Irish_Dem]

41. Yep.

Traitors, criminals, con artists, trouble makers, active drug addicts and alcoholics all gone.

Yes Prince and Princess of Wales, Anne, Edward, Sophie.
Yes Sophie is a royal favorite, very trustworthy and hard working.
Sophie and Edward's kids can join the firm after a probationary period
and only if they want to.

Charles is too weak to do it all. William will force it or do it himself.

[Kaleva]

32. Is there any evidence that suggests the Monarchy is in danger?

According to polls, King Charles III is popular with a majority of Brits.

[canetoad]

34. Note that the arresting force

Was Thames Valley Police (yeah, same as Inspector Morse). Not the Met - he's not on their turf. Not MI5 which may or may not be interested nor MI6 who's brief is to deal with matters in other than the UK.

This may very well be an unusual but otherwise fairly standard type of prosecution that just happens to be of a member of the RF. I can't see anyone invoking the Official Secrets Act - it's a pretty fair assumption that the Firm will want this played out in public.

[róisín_dubh]

35. I thought Thames Valley was a bit...

weird, given he lives in Norfolk.
But hey ho, glad it finally happened regardless of jurisdiction.

[canetoad]

36. Don't know the ins and outs

But he lived in Windsor at time of crime. Norfolk Constabulary is about half the size of Thames Valley. Could just be a decision to let a bigger force handle it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_Constabulary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Valley_Police

PS Maybe they're going to make a police procedural TV series about it.

[róisín_dubh]

44. Oh no, my weakness!

Because I want to write a mystery novel and I have a legal background, I ❤️ British police procedurals (and noted your mention of Inspector Morse). Vera and Shetland are my favourites. I’m not sure I could stomach one about Andrew though.
I suspect you’re right about jurisdiction and Norfolk is small potatoes compared to Thames Valley. I live just over the border in equally rural Suffolk.

[PufPuf23]

37. Charles, other royals and Thatcher were friends of the "admired" Jimmy Savile

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Savile

What did Jimmy Savile do? How many victims came forward and how his crimes were exposed

https://inews.co.uk/news/crime/what-jimmy-savile-do-how-many-known-victims-came-forward-how-his-crimes-were-exposed-2673861

Jimmy Savile 1926-2026: Centenary year of the birth of a paedophile who groomed a nation and fooled a pope and a future king

https://www.trevorgrundy.news/jimmy-savile-1926-2026-centenary-year-of-the-birth-of-a-paedophile-who-groomed-a-nation-and-fooled-a-pope-and-a-future-king/

[artemisia1]

38. Yes, good point, and those who think the Monarchy is in no danger forget how much disrepute the Savile connection

attached to the Royal Family.

[BooScout]

43. Or those that disagree with you...

....might actually live in the UK and have a grasp about the stability and popularity of the Royal family. Andrew is not King Charles and most Brits seem to understand that novel concept.

If your brother went out and committed a murder, which you had nothing to do with, should you lose your job and what the heck, get locked up too?

[artemisia1]

46. So UK subjects are UNANIMOUS in their views? I didn't think so. My views come from contact with people living

in the UK who view the Monarchy as parasitical. I am not sure I share that view as I think they do make a contribution, but your post is ONE person's view and living in the UK doesn't make it more special.

[edbermac]

39. I bet Harry is relieved that he bailed out of this situation.

[artemisia1]

40. I agree. Despite his flaws he was perceptive enough to see the toxicity and parasitic nature within the Royal Family. /n

[Buckeyeblue]

45. I don't think they had a choice

There has just been too much about Andy coming out of the Epstein email release. I think once the email came out that Andy had shared some state classified/confidential financial information with Epstein it paved the way for this investigation. I think it'll be interesting to see what the investigation finds as they search through his emails. It could be that they don't find much of anything that would support prosecution. I think it just depends on how forthcoming he was in his emails.

[MineralMan]

47. Don't Look Now,

but they've already done that, I think. Not much left of Andrew to destroy, it seems to me.