Prince William Is Reportedly Getting Worried About Prince Andrew's Scandal

After years of rehabilitation following the death of Princess Diana, the royal family's image seems to finally have softened its icy veneer. With Prince William and Kate Middleton at the helm, the Windsors have gone from cold and callous to modern and stable. However, the family has recently fallen victim to a number of scandals, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's highly publicized interview with Oprah and Prince Andrew's sexual assault accusations.

According to Fox News, Prince Charles and his son have had to choose how to deal with the fallout surrounding their disgraced brother and uncle. 38-year-old Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against the 61-year-old Prince earlier this month in which she alleged that he abused her when she was under the age of 18 with the help of Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein was found guilty of sex trafficking in 2019 before he died in jail that same year. With the royal family engaged in the high-profile scandal, it appears that it's turning into an even bigger nightmare for the other members of the House of Windsor.

Their first order of business is ensuring that Prince Andrew will never return to public life. The outlet cites sources who have said both Prince Charles and Prince William are united on the fact that the former pilot will be fully cut out of royal engagements. The source also told The Mirror that both princes "along with [other] members [of the royal family], are undoubtedly increasingly concerned about the effect all of this turmoil could have on the queen."

Prince William is said to be "exasperated" with the new developments.

In addition to tying the royal family to Jeffrey Epstein's ghastly dealings, Prince Andrew also has appeared nonchalant about the situation in the past. Town & Country reports that the prince sat down for an interview at Buckingham Palace in 2019 following his former friend's arrest during which he said he did not regret his relationship with the disgraced financier. Following the outcry after the interview went public, the father of two voluntarily stepped down from his position inside the institution. The outlet notes that Prince Andrew has denied all involvement with the sex trafficking ring and claims he never met Virginia Giuffre.

Fox News contends that the prince never saw his step away from public duties as permanent, noting he planned to be back in the public eye this year. Giuffre had made claims about Epstein, his accomplice, Ghislane Maxwell and Prince Andrew before, but the lawsuit was the first legal action she's taken. Her suit alleges that the royal knew how old she was at the time, that he engaged in sexual acts without her consent and that he knew she was a sex-trafficking victim. "Twenty years ago Prince Andrew's wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her. It is long past the time for him to be held to account," court documents read.

Prince Andrew and the camp have repeatedly denied Giuffre's allegations. The scandal has certainly made jaws drop in horror and left Prince Charles and Prince William to plan the family's way forward.