Thread by @timespolitics

Exclusive: Palace insiders have revealed to The Sunday Times that the royal family will never let Prince Andrew return to public life after Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre filed a civil case against him thetimes.co.uk/article/prince…

Of the official photographs issued by Buckingham Palace for Princess Beatrice’s wedding last year, none featured Prince Andrew — the father of the bride who walked his daughter down the aisle that day

The decision is a notable break with royal tradition

Things have since gone from bad to worse for Andrew; a prince unable to escape the fallout from his friendships with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell, who will stand trial in New York next month accused of sex trafficking
thetimes.co.uk/article/ghisla…

Andrew faces a protracted legal nightmare of his own

His lawyers say the accusations are “baseless” and initially appeared to use every loophole in the book to stall proceedings

“Not a good look for him,” says Lisa Bloom, the US lawyer who represents several Epstein victims

Andrew twice bolted up to Balmoral, the Queen’s Scottish retreat, after Giuffre filed her case, leading many to suggest that he was hiding behind his mother’s skirts to avoid service of court papers
thetimes.co.uk/article/prince…

Royal watchers say the saga is damaging the monarchy

“This drip, drip, drip not only involves Andrew but, because he is the Queen’s second son, also engages the whole royal family, tarnishes their image and, by implication, Britain’s image too," says the historian Tessa Dunlop

Andrew is said to have told his mother his Newsnight interview in November 2019 was “a great success”

Instead, it went down as one of the most bizarre and misguided attempts at exoneration ever seen on television

Within days the Queen sacked her son from the firm

He is now rarely, if ever, seen publicly socialising, with only the occasional photograph of him on a horse in Windsor Great Park as evidence of his daily activity

“Riding is on the ‘allowed list’,” says a friend. “He is climbing the walls."

Andrew is said to remain convinced there is still a royal role for him in some shape or form, if the dust ever settles. It is not a view shared up the chain of command

When he tested the water last year — a source close to Andrew told The Sunday Times he hoped to “serve his country and support the monarchy in the future”. The royal slap-down was swift. Prince Charles was understood to be furious about Andrew’s claim of support for a future role

Prince William, who joined crisis talks with his grandmother and father over the decision to remove Andrew from public life, agrees that the change should be permanent

One of Andrew’s problems is that he is not very popular

A military source who has dealt with Andrew on several engagements does not mince words

A royal source who knows Andrew believes he has limited options:

“No business or brand in the country would touch him... he has to come to terms with it”
thetimes.co.uk/article/prince…