RUSSELL MYERS: 'I was with King Charles at Vatican - Prince Andrew left stain on trip'
Royal Editor Russell Myers says King Charles has always tried to bring people together - but the lead up to his historic trip to the Vatican has been overshadowed by the Prince Andrew scandal
If the King was to draw up a blueprint for his legacy, making history by bringing people together would perhaps be top of the list. Over decades as Prince of Wales, being a vehicle for cohesion across communities, countries, social divides and religion has been central to Charles’s life.
It is the fundamental principle that guides his role as a member of the royal family and now as the head of the monarchy. What a stain it has been, therefore, to have led up to his visit to the Holy See and an historic meeting with the Pope, to face more scandal concerning his disgraced brother, Prince Andrew.
The King has given his younger sibling every opportunity to make right the shame and unwanted attention his relationship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein has brought to the family's door. He has given him more leeway and grace to continue to enjoy the privileges he has been accustomed to all his life, that most would have withdrawn once this tawdry affair took hold.
With the latest raft of allegations of abuse from his accuser Virginia Giuffre, in her posthumous memoir released this week, the attention was once again back on the beleaguered prince and Buckingham Palace.
While he has always denied the allegations that he abused Giuffre, having sex with her on three occasions from 2001 when she was 17, Andrew is now thought to have lied in his BBC Newsnight interview concerning how long he kept in touch with Epstein after he was convicted.
Buckingham Palace’s lack of action regarding this most shameful episode has brought it to the forefront of the public’s minds what punishment is morally acceptable.
He was forced to give up his royal role, stripped of his military titles and charity patronages and went on to pay £12million to Giuffre in 2022 to stop a civil trial taking place in the US.
But it is his continued arrogance in the face of further scandal, with further claims of relationships with alleged Chinese spies that has further aggravated the issue. Even after relinquishing his titles, including the Duke of York, the King must wonder what on earth is next.
When he asked his brother to guarantee over what could possibly follow, Andrew could give no guarantees. As heir, Prince William, not only feels the weight of responsibility to do what is right, but also to protect the reputation of the monarchy. This is why Andrew will have no place at the heart of the monarchy or otherwise when William is king.
At the Vatican this week, the King has been widely praised for his role in being a man of integrity and honour in seeking to heal division and conflict. It’s a shame his brother can not see the benefit of such actions.
