Prince Andrew is in the news this week, and as usual, the coverage is resulting in some royal headaches for his long-suffering family,
As you’re probably, Andrew stands accused of statutory rape, having allegedly engaged in sexual acts with several underage victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s human trafficking ring.
For months, the prince managed to dodge subpoenas, but he was finally served on August 27, and soon, Andrew will soon be forced to face one of his accusers in court.
An expired statute of limitations will likely prevent Andrew from facing any criminal charges, but a civil suit filed by alleged victim Virginia Roberts will force him to answer for his crimes in front of a judge.
Roberts says she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times between 1999 and 2002.
She was just 17 years old at the time of the first encounter, and while the age of consent in the UK is 16, Roberts says she was illegally trafficked from her home in California, where the age of consent is 18.
We probably don’t need to tell you that the royal family has been embroiled in scandal for most of the past three years, and for Prince William — who has become the de facto public face of the institution — Andrews’ legal woes couldn’t come at a worse time.
And according to a new report from the UK’s Sunday Times, William would like nothing more than to never hear his uncle’s name again.
“William is no fan of Uncle Andrew," one insider tells the outlet.
“There is no way in the world he’s ever coming back, the family will never let it happen."
Yes, while Andrew seems to believe that he can somehow weather this storm, William is reportedly well aware that regardless of what happens in court, Andrew’s goose is cooked.
And according to the source, what really "triggers” William is his uncle’s perceived “ungracious and ungrateful” attitude.
William reportedly feels that Andrew’s sense of privilege is “a risk” and “threat to the family.”
At a time when many UK citizens are questioning the necessity of the royal family, a sexual predator who feels he’s superior to the average Briton is not exactly great for optics.
“Any suggestion that there isn’t gratitude for the institution, anything that could lead anyone in the public to think that senior members of the royal family aren’t grateful for their position, [William thinks] is really dangerous,” the source said.
And it seems that William is not alone in his distaste for Prince Charles’ younger brother.
“He’s not made any friends on the way up, so no one is helping him on the way down," one source told the Times.
Another insider labeled Andrew “a self-important bore.”
“I’ve got no time for Andrew. He’s a total dickhead, an arrogant sh-t,” an anonymous military source told the newspaper
"He’s quite an arrogant chap with a tendency to blame other people when things go wrong, instead of looking at his own behavior," another unnamed insider added.
"The Duke of York has never been one to take advice that doesn’t suit him, and he doesn’t hold back in letting you know what to do with that advice that he doesn’t want to hear.”
“He’s a deeply unpleasant man,” a former aide told the Times.
“The difference you see between him and the way Prince William and the Prince of Wales treat their staff with respect, straight out of the Queen’s handbook, is stark.”
Remarkably, it seems that Andrew still feels he has a future in the public eye.
Those around him, meanwhile, have grown weary of this particular delusion.
“No business or brand in the country would touch him,” said one royal source.
“He should go and manage one of the royal estates, or do something within the royal set-up that provides him with an entirely private role," the insider added.
"He has to come to terms with a position as a private member of the royal family and stop trying to get back what he once had. He has to embrace a different role for the rest of his life. That will probably crush him, but he has to come to terms with it.”
Unfortunately, neither William or Charles is yet in a position to force Andrew from his post.
But it sounds like the Duke of York would do well to step down before either of them takes the throne.