EDITORIAL – Will (former) Prince Andrew be the monarchy’s downfall?

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

TODAY’S ARREST of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the Royal formerly known as Prince, probably isn’t a major surprise to many. What might be surprising, however, is the reason.

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on the morning of his 66th birthday not for alleged sexual offences in connection with the well-known Virginia Giuffre case, but on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Specifically, that he may have passed along sensitive state information to financier Jeffrey Epstein during the time the then-prince was Britain’s official trade envoy.

How long he’ll remain in custody, and whether he’ll actually be charged with anything, remains to be seen, but at this writing police are searching his various homes for possible evidence. If charged and found guilty, he could face life imprisonment.

Today’s arrest is the latest result of the release of documents connected to the infamous pedophile Epstein.

If you want to know a lot more about Andrew, and his former wife Sarah Ferguson, I heartily recommend you take out a library copy of Andrew Lownie’s book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York. It’s a scathing biography of Andrew and Ferguson. I finished reading it only a few days ago and it’s an eye-opener.

The sense of entitlement assumed by the couple, which included extravagant spending of taxpayer dollars, is shocking. In addition to his international jet-setting, for example, Andrew was in the habit of taking helicopters for short trips to appointments when he could have been driven for a fraction of the cost. His and Ferguson’s profligate expenses are outlined in much detail in the book.

Beyond the outrageous waste of public dollars, however, the book goes into much detail about their personalities. Andrew comes across as an immature, petulant and often very rude man.

And, of course, it delves into the stuff about his friendship with Epstein and his alleged involvement with Giuffre. It’s not always an easy book to read. On pretty much every page, Lownie inserts long-dash phrases into his sentences that leave the reader thoroughly confused. He also skips around in his timeline, which makes it hard to follow at times.

But it’s well-worth the effort. Lownie’s conclusion is that Andrew, while one of the monarchy’s staunchest defenders, may be the cause of its downfall.

Certainly, that possibility is now in play, though King Charles has issued a statement fully endorsing the legal process. Andrew, of course, had already been stripped of his royal designations and was forced out of his Royal Lodge home only a couple of weeks ago.

Andrew’s story is about the abuse of position and power as well as the stupidity of an arrogant man. His remarkable self-indulgence and betrayal of his position may, sadly, bring down not only himself but the monarchy he professed to love.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.