Donald Trump has offered his thoughts on the situation after Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles due to his connection with Jeffrey Epstein.
Last week, on October 30, it was announced by the Royal Family that Prince Andrew, brother of King Charles III, would lose all his royal titles and be required to vacate his Windsor mansion.
This significant decision comes amidst ongoing debates about the Duke’s justification for receiving taxpayer-funded support since stepping back from royal duties in 2019. It also coincides with increasing scrutiny over his association with the late Epstein, a convicted sex offender.
Furthermore, Virginia Giuffre released a memoir on October 21 which details the abuse she suffered from Epstein, allegedly facilitated by Ghislaine Maxwell, and her interactions with the former royal.
Commenting on the matter, former President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for the Royal Family.
While aboard Air Force One, President Trump was questioned about his opinion on the King’s decision to officially remove Andrew’s titles following the Epstein controversy.
“It’s a terrible thing that’s happened to the family,” he commented.
“That’s been a tragic situation. It’s too bad. I feel badly for the family.”
From now on, Andrew will be referred to as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor after losing his prince and Duke of York titles due to his involvement with Epstein.
A turning point seems to have arrived with the publication of Giuffre’s book, “Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice,” last month.
In her memoir, Giuffre claims she was paid $15,000 to have an encounter with Andrew at the age of 17, a claim the former royal has always denied.
When she filed a lawsuit against him in August 2021, Andrew maintained his innocence but ultimately settled out of court for approximately $15 million.
Giuffre, who sadly passed away by suicide at 41 earlier this year, alleged she had intimate encounters with Andrew on three occasions after being trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell.
Recently, emails have surfaced between the disgraced royal, now 65, and Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial.
A report by Sky News uncovered that the former Duke corresponded with Epstein in April 2010, following Epstein’s release from prison for charges related to minors.
The emails suggest the two met in 2010, with a photograph of them in New York’s Central Park in December being published, although Andrew insists it was a meeting to end their relationship.
On October 30, Buckingham Palace released a statement: “His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence.
“Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.
“Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.”
It is now expected that Andrew will need to vacate his Grade II listed Royal Lodge and move into the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with the costs being personally covered by the King.