Queen Elizabeth II‘s legacy is likely stained forever by one massive “mistake” she made during her reign.
As you know, the late Virginia Giuffre accused the monarch’s son, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, of sexually assaulting her in a lawsuit. Over a decade ago, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly trafficked her to the former Duke of York three times, including when she was only 17. Andrew vehemently denied the allegations, even in that disastrous BBC interview, which only further convinced everyone he’s guilty.
He ultimately stepped away from his royal duties and paid Virginia millions to settle the suit out of court, with the help of his mother. Queen Elizabeth reportedly tried to protect Andrew, often described as her favorite son, amid his alleged close ties to Epstein. She even allegedly helped fund his estimated $16 million settlement with Virginia in March 2022.
Related: Where Sarah Ferguson Is Now Hiding Out Amid Epstein Scandal!
However, no amount of money is making the scandal go away. It continues to haunt Andrew and the royal family, especially now more than ever. The US Department of Justice released millions of documents from the Epstein files, which resurfaced Giuffre’s story and revealed more unsettling photos, emails, and whatnot that further tied Andrew to the pedophile. He was then arrested in February for allegedly sharing confidential government information with Epstein when he served as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 to 2011.
By that point, King Charles III had already attempted to fix the royal family’s Andrew problem after their mother had handled the scandal poorly. He later removed all the disgraced royal’s titles and honors and kicked him out of Royal Lodge, the mansion he was living in rent-free for years!
Too little, too late, though! All that should’ve been done a long time ago, but Queen Elizabeth reportedly aided Andrew rather than cutting ties! And because of that, Robert Hardman, the author of the upcoming book Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story, told People on Friday that he feels the decision “will go down as a mistake … and one that has outlasted her.” Oof. This is definitely not the kind of legacy one wants to leave.
Those close to Elizabeth insisted, however, that the scandal weighed heavily on her. A source close to the palace explained:
“The Queen effectively sacked him and forced him to step back from public life, which clearly he didn’t want to do. I don’t think we should underestimate what it would take for a mother to do that. Throughout, she showed that when it came to the demands of family over the role, the role would win out.”
Hmm. Others may argue otherwise since she reportedly helped Andrew pay to settle his assault lawsuit.
Regardless of the Epstein scandal, Hardman thinks her reputation won’t be completely destroyed:
“Her greatness remains. We tend to look at things through the prism of the present — particularly Andrew and Harry. But when you stand back and take in a 70-year reign and a 96-year life, those are important chapters, not the defining elements. She came into a man’s world, held that institution together and handed it on in far better shape than people expected.”
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith added:
“She was the calm in the face of problems. People knew that they could count on her.”
Coming to Elizabeth’s defense, her former press secretary Ailsa Anderson also pointed out that “in moments of anguish, stress and crisis, she was the glue that kept us all together.” She even feels the royals could use some of the late queen’s resilience to get through the current controversy, noting that Andrew’s problems “are not going to be [their] downfall.” Anderson concluded:
“They’re survivors. The monarchy has weathered far worse.”
Time will tell how the royal family comes out of this mess. Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below).
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
[Image via MEGA/Anthony Stanley/WENN, US Department of Justice]
