Royal expert on Prince Andrew scandal: “Harry and Meghan will have to help repair the monarchy”
As furore surrounds Prince Andrew after his interview about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a royal expert reveals the effects for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
They’ve been the focus of negative headlines over the past year, but the drama around “royal rebels” Prince Harry and Meghan was last week overshadowed by Harry’s uncle, whose “car crash” interview has rocked the Royal Family.
During his tense 60-minute grilling by the BBC’s Emily Maitlis, Prince Andrew admitted to staying at the home of his friend, convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following the billionaire’s release from prison on sex trafficking charges in 2011.
The Prince has repeatedly denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who claims she slept with him in London when she was 17. After his interview, he was slammed for failing to express sympathy for Epstein’s victims, allegedly leading to an unprecedented move by the Queen to effectively “sack” her son by stripping him of royal duties. And royal expert Duncan Larcombe tells Closer that, while the Duke of York’s huge breach of protocol has shaken the monarchy, it may take some pressure off under-fire Prince Harry and Meghan. They have faced criticism in recent months for everything, from flying by private jet while preaching about being eco-friendly, to reportedly falling out with Prince William and Kate Middleton.
He explains, “It’s been a dreadful year for Harry and
Meghan. All the furore around Andrew may well have inadvertently done them a favour by giving them some respite from the quite relentless scrutiny they have faced.”
However, after the enormous damage caused by the scandal around Andrew, Duncan insists that Harry and Meghan – along with the rest of the royal family – will be expected to pull together to help rebuild the reputation of the monarchy.
Duncan explains, “If Harry and Meghan had been thinking of reducing their royal role or possibly moving to the United States, as has been reported, that’s now even more unlikely.
“What’s happened with Andrew demonstrates that Harry will have an even more important part to play in repairing the public image of the Royal Family.
This time last week, it was unthinkable that Andrew could be sacked from royal duties, but it’s taken less than four days for that to become reality. The Queen will expect all hands on deck – including Harry and Meghan – to earn back and protect the reputation of The Firm.”
The young royals caused controversy recently by confirming they plan to spend Christmas with Meghan’s mum
Doria on a six-week break in LA with baby Archie, rather than the traditional gathering at Sandringham with the rest of the Royal Family.
Duncan adds, “I imagine they will take time over Christmas to really think about their future – because, whether they like it or not, the scale of damage that Andrew has created with the public can now only be rebuilt with their full support.”