How The Queen's Hopes For Prince Andrew's Future Could Make Things Awkward

Things aren't looking good for Prince Andrew. A lawsuit was filed against the Duke of York earlier this month, claiming that the royal sexually abused Virginia Roberts Giuffre at Jeffrey Epstein's Manhattan mansion when she was under 18 (via ABC News). While Prince Andrew has denied the allegations against him, experts are now saying the son of Queen Elizabeth should be worried that a plea deal with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was Epstein's "alleged former 'madam,'" could name him (via Daily Express). In fact, an attorney representing some of Epstein's victims even claims that Maxwell is "ready to fully cooperate with the FBI investigation" and men like Prince Andrew should be "worried." 

It seems all eyes are on the royal family to see how they're reacting to this news. According to Best Life, Prince Charles is trying to get his brother to move out of the Royal Lodge, which is where Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, are currently taking residence. A royal source has even said that Prince Andrew's current scandal is "a source of much heartache for Charles and [Prince] William who are trying to protect the future of the monarchy" (via the Daily Mail). But what does the queen feel about all of this? 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

According to Daily Beast, Queen Elizabeth is sticking by her son's side. It's been reported by The Times that the queen has even made it clear "to the regiment that she wants the Duke of York to remain as colonel." Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties back in 2019 after first being tied to the Epstein scandal (via BBC). At the time, Andrew made a statement saying he regretted his "ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein."

However, stepping down from royal duties and keeping his title of colonel of the Grenadier Guards has definitely made things awkward. A senior military source even told The Times that it's a "very difficult" and "unsatisfactory situation," because "you can't have a colonel who can't do public duties." While no one wants to upset the queen and there's a feeling that "nobody wants to do anything that could cause upset to the colonel-in-chief," it's hard to function that way. 

While this decision by the queen seems to show that she still supports her son, if the Ghislaine Maxwell plea deal goes through, there's a possibility that things could change if Prince Andrew is named.