Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Prince Andrew’s Epstein scandal is the real royal family disgrace

How is that Harry and Meghan’s abdication has left the Queen “furious”, but Prince Andrew’s Epstein allegations have been sidelined? Let’s not lose focus of the real royal disgrace, writes Lucy Carne.

I don’t know about you, but in terms of disgraceful scandals, I’m less appalled by a self-absorbed couple’s petulant tantrum, than I am by allegations of creepy rich men having sex with child prostitutes. Just saying.

Yet in the week and a bit since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, announced through Instagram that they were stepping down from royal duties and moving to Los Angeles (sorry, Vancouver), we’ve seemingly forgotten about Prince Andrew and his arid armpits.

If you can recall all the way back to November, the Duke of York in an interview with the BBC denied allegations that he had sex three times with an underage sex slave because he is unable to sweat.

His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, cancelled his birthday party as punishment. His 200 patronages ran for the hills.

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His friendship with convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein was jailed caused a “disruption” to the royal family, Prince Andrew admitted, and he temporarily stepped away from duties.

Yet the Queen wasn’t that outraged to cancel a horse ride with her beloved son around Windsor Castle a few days later. Andrew was still firmly in the family fold.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex with Prince Harry, left, and Prince Andrew, right. Picture: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool

So how is that Harry and Meghan’s sulky abdication has left the Queen “privately furious”, Prince Charles “livid”, Prince William “sad” and an artillery of courtiers thrashing it out at the Sandringham summit?

Meanwhile, Prince Andrew’s Epstein scandal has been conveniently brushed under a Buckingham Palace Axminster rug courtesy of Megxit.

The sidelined saga leaves significant questions still unanswered: where is the Duke’s close friend Ghislaine Maxwell who allegedly groomed underage girls for Epstein? Who are the other high profile people involved in the sex-trafficking ring? Why haven’t the FBI questioned Andrew?

Even last week reports barely registered in the news that UK police blocked a Freedom of Information request for the location of Prince Andrew’s taxpayer-funded protection officers on the night he was accused of having sex with teenage Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Were they really at Pizza Express Woking? It seems we’ll never know.

Former sex slave Giuffre, 36 — unrelenting in her push for justice despite a distinct lack of current attention — tweeted on Thursday that supermodel Naomi Campbell was among Epstein’s influential friends who allegedly saw her as a 17-year-old but did not intervene.

But with the spotlight firmly off Prince Andrew, any accountability or resolution remains unlikely.

You saw me at your parties, you saw me in Epstein’s homes, you saw me on the plane, you saw me get my haircut, you saw me on the streets, you watched me be abused. You saw me! 🦋#Awareness #Justice #GhislaineMaxwell #JeffreyEpstein #NaomiCampbell #PrinceAndrew pic.twitter.com/5TNWvG1eAA

— Virginia Giuffre (@VRSVirginia) January 16, 2020

And for what? A B-grade American TV actor who realised being a royal wasn’t all balcony waves and horse-drawn carriages and who lacked the humility to commit to a job that mostly entails hugging spotty pre-teens at youth centres in rainy towns. And a thin-skinned prince, who reportedly felt pushed out because his photo wasn’t on his granny’s desk during her Christmas speech, but expects to live off his family’s funds.

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Are we really that shocked they couldn’t cut it? They are the couple who complained about how tough their lives were while surrounded by poverty in Africa.

It was obvious the Sussexes craved a shinier celebrity status. Just watch the footage of Prince Harry embarrassingly selling Meghan’s voice over skills to Disney CEO Bob Iger at the Lion King premiere last July. It’s worth it just for the facial reaction of Iger’s wife in the background, whose gracious smile drops to pursed-lip displeasure at the sixth-in-line to the throne’s hustling. It paid off though — Meghan’s done a voice over for Disney in exchange for a charity donation.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex chats with Disney CEO Robert Iger as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex embraces Beyonce at the London premiere of The Lion King. Picture: Niklas Hallen/Pool/AFP

And it’s certainly just the beginning of a doomed attempt to blend royal title with a desperation for stardom, relevance and woke influence. Big brands, billionaires and royals are a dangerous mix — just ask Prince Andrew.

If only they would heed Ricky Gervais’ Golden Globes advice, when he so succinctly articulated the turning tide against hypocritical celebrities: “If you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent and your god, and f--k off.”

And that’s what they should do. Disappear into mundane life — Harry working for the Canadian fireys and Meghan volunteering in a women’s shelter.

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But claiming to move to Canada is classic Harry and Meghan tokenism in an attempt to flatter the Commonwealth.

It will only be a hot minute before they’ve moved to Malibu and Meghan is sipping green juice, blogging about self-love and podcasting with Oprah as Harry autographs Sussex Royal™ baseball caps (for charitable purposes of course).

Honestly, good riddance. Leave them to their future of climate-patronising TED talks, holidays with the Obamas and pilates for the poor fundraisers.

But let’s not lose sight of the real scandal. For that is the true disgrace of the royal family.

Lucy Carne is editor of Rendezview.com.au