KEVIN MAGUIRE: 'Prince Andrew scandal shows monarchy puts its own interests first, not country'

Kevin Maguire says questions must be asked over why Buckingham Palace didn't report Prince Andrew to the police and argues that a public debate on the Royal Family is now needed

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The latest royal scandal isn’t just about one man, lying ­paedophile’s pal Andrew, but about a feudal cartel leaving Britain as a medieval monstrosity in the modern world.

Now is surely the moment for a soul-searching public debate on why an unappetising family is put on a pedestal to reign over us, expecting plebs to bow and curtsy and be grateful for a smile in return for huge dollops of cash and massive tax breaks.

Questions must be asked why Buckingham Palace itself didn’t report the eighth in line to the throne to the police when it is claimed that a senior flunky was informed by sleazy Andrew that he’d obtained personal information about accuser Virginia Giuffre and wanted a protection officer to dig dirt.

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From day one the monarchy has put its own interests first, second and third by covering for Jeffrey Epstein’s buddy, every forced move designed to protect the institution rather than serve the country. It was stomach churning that the late Queen coughed up part, most or all of the £12million paid by her second son and child to keep out of court a sex abuse case brought by Ms Giuffre.

As was her subsequently attempting to rehabilitate Andrew by having him very publicly escort her to a memorial service for husband Philip.

Disgraced Andrew was hardly banished by big brother Charles when the King invited him to walk to church at Sandringham with the Royal Family on Christmas Day in 2022 and 2023, and he didn’t instruct the slimeball to stay at the back at last month’s Westminster Cathedral funeral for the Duchess of Kent.

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And Andrew hasn’t lost the Duke of York title. He has only agreed not to use it. Equally the bloke remains a counsellor of state though the deal is he’ll not be called to advise the King. And why is he still a Prince?

Charlie would be swinging his sword and demanding legislation to strip his seedy sibling of roles and titles if he were truly horrified about what Andrew is alleged to have done rather than minimising embarrassment.

MPs and peers are largely barred from criticising the monarchy, Westminster preferring fawning and gushing tributes instead – so this will need to be a debate initiated outside Parliament.

The one-in-four of us who are republicans, preferring democracy over hereditary nonsense, will be heard and that’s what defenders of the old ways fear most. Andrew is shedding light on the royal mafia. Kate and William might be nice people but the system is rotten.