one of the oldest titles in the British

York traditiona­lly given to the Second

Monarch being the youngest son being the

spare is a really difficult role there

spec throughout its 600e history the

house of York has had more than its fair

share of Scandal Dukes of York are right

for for Scandal there are always going

to be pitfalls of course you have all

the perks and privileges of being Royal

and to none of the responsibi­lity some

very formidable characters in our Island

history have been Dukes of York there's

the infamous story of the princes in the

tower who were allegedly murdered by

III but now the current Duke of York

scrutiny as the Second Son Andrew spent

his childhood and of course his adult

life he has spent in the shadow of his

older brother a bit naive uh but then

his judgment has always been a bit naive

did you have to go by private jet to

Newcastle yeah because there was no

other way of getting there and back a

naval officer and celebrated war hero

waiting for either a bang or the all

clear it's a fantastic job all three s

it's a fantastic job for a single man

it's getting less and less so for a

married man a Playboy Prince once second

in line to the throne I think he was

always seen as Prince Charles said as

the handsome one bit of a favorite of

the queen he had a good life he had all

the privilege with none of the

responsibi­lity now caught up in a story

world I think it's fair to say that this

is is a scandal of an entirely different

nature this is by far the most damaging

of allegation­s poor old prince Andrew he

rarely seems to be out of the papers

these days Andre you going to resign

sir what impact will the current Duke of

York have on the future of the

monarchy he's never been far away from

controvers­y but his connection with

Epstein that ill-fated friendship has

inflicted the Great greatest damage on

his reputation as a member of the royal

family what will this latest scandal

York within the Royal House of Windsor

there are several different titles

Monarch Wales Cambridge Sussex and York

the Duke of York it's a very Noble title

sovereign'­s Second Son prince Andrew is

the 11th Duke of York and he's now at

the center of a media frenzy following

the suicide of disgraced financier

Epstein and there is an old saying out

there that says tell me who your friends

are and I'll tell you who you are prince

Andrew certainly isn't the first Duke of

controvers­y when one looks at second

sons of monarchs is that they are sort

of they Heartbeat Away if you like from

the top role the top job Dukes of York

have over the course of history been

rather colorful characters but perhaps

the most significan­t the one immediatel­y

before prince Andrew was King George the

the Queen's much loved father on whom

she pretty much has based her entire

Reign so she holds that position

her over time the Duke of York role has

Heir being the youngest son being the

spare is a really difficult role there

is no job spec for it there are always

going to be pitfalls of course you have

all the perks and privileges of being

Royal and none of the the responsibi­lity

the Dukes of your are really ripe for

drama and almost inevitably going to be

problemati­c as they try and find a role

for themselves when they don't actually

have in their sights the big job which

of course is the crown one of those

titles that goes through the ages um and

you try not to live up to a previous one

but eventually something comes up and

face prince Andrew would not receive His

official title of Duke of York until his

1986 but from birth he was in the

headlines being the first child born to

a reigning monarch for 103 years prince

Andrew had a very happy childhood he

came 12 years after the Prince of Wales

was born and of course a little bit

after Princess Anne was born the third

of four children it was rumored that he

favorite I suppose some might say that

Andrew was spoiled far more than Charles

was um I think family friends have

certainly told me that he was um he was

the favorite son um she she had more

time for Andrew um he was her golden

favoritism led to Andrew developing

characteri­stics he was quite cocky even

from a young age and and um some might

boorishnes­s he had a reputation as as he

grew up at school for being a little bit

self-entit­led certainly very aware of

who he was a sense of self-impor­tance

I think he was always seen as Prince

Charles said as the handsome one bit of

a favorite of the queen you know he had

a good life you know he had really all

the privilege with none other

79 prince Andrew would find a role for

himself when he joined the Royal Navy as

a helicopter pilot the har Master is on

FCS NS trims set lights on he wanted to

make the Navy really his career for life

and he was a diligent uh young officer

with one or two exceptions I mean he is

famously said to have remarked to one

senior very senior uh naval officer that

a senior officer could call him H being

short hrh and uh the senior officer said

and you can call me sir and and that

again it gives you an idea of what uh

the young Andrew was like basically what

I'm here for is to work the ship up into

into Aviation and also myself back into

the deck and actually getting back on

the deck on a dark night is is uh quite

exciting he was a good naval officer uh

3 years later prince Andrew was deployed

Into the Heart of the folin's war

despite prime minister Margaret Thatcher

having doubts over a young high-profi­le

Royal going into battle he wasn't there

as some sort of figurehead being tucked

away from the action he was in the

middle of the action flying Royal Navy

helicopter­s as decoys uh sometimes so

very brave very important and and

clearly a very important moment in his

his life lot TI the back pleas the

ruling Monarch's Second Son fighting on

headlines at the time you know the The

Queen's Second Son to be involved in

military service in this high profile uh

War the fand's war that you know was

something that the whole country were

very much glued to their television

screens I mean this really was quite

something really for a royal to be

involved in this way I don't think

anyone will forget the images of the war

hero Prince coming back from the

Faulkland you know the Golden Boy of the

royal family with the rose between his

teeth um being very much hailed a

national hero the pride of which to see

how the British Force actually work

together um and this was this was

absolutely amazing it really was after

the Fulon War you know he was the Golden

Monarchy upon his return the prince's

love life would make make Front Page

News Andrew um was blessed with uh the

best looks of the young Windsor and he

liked girls and girls seem to like him

most famously he dated um beautiful

brunette actress C Stark this was all

quite titillatin­g and exciting in in

terms of who Andrew was dating and I

think fueled that image of him being a

bit of a Playboy Prince for a long time

people thought they were incredibly well

matched she was a very sexy girl

um she shared many interests that Andrew

had and she was Sparky but she knew how

how to behave if you like in in in Royal

circles Andrew whisked coup away to the

Caribbean island of Mustique under the

Cambridge she was even given the Royal

approval their relationsh­ip was so close

that Andrew introduced her to his mother

well of course that sparked a frenzy of

speculatio­n in the press that an

engagement announced was just around the

corner the Royal romance soon turned to

Scandal unfortunat­ely for Andrew and and

particular­ly for coup she had a past it

turned out that um you know Not only was

she an actress but she' actually

appeared in some pretty risque movies um

which really were the death Nell of the

relationsh­ip we just embarked on on on

the Diana years attitudes towards the

royal family were changing they were

incredibly popular they didn't want do

anything that might jeopardize this

public advisor around the royal family

felt that she was an unsuitable figure

for for Andrew to be seen with which was

a great shame because I think um they

might they might have made a very

team Andrew and coup eventually split up

and the prince went on to have a string

relationsh­ips he definitely had a penion

for pretty women I don't think it

necessaril­y mattered whether they were

brunette or blonde the girls fell for

him uh quite a number of girls fell for

girlfriend­s and uh in those days uh

there weren't many RWS around to write

about and Andrew was right for being

about the media dubbed him Randy Andy I

think the Playboy image was rather good

for the royal family I think it gave

them a dose of Hollywood glamour um that

they were lacking and it was quite

exciting some extent the reputation um

the sort of Playboy Prince was deserved

but you know in the same way that you

know young Royal princes will be young

Royal princes the Press loved this you

could see that this was you know Andrew

at his prime by the mid 1980s despite a

reported Playboy lifestyle and front

page headlines the future Duke of York

was a popular member of the royal family

I think he was brought up to believe

that he was terribly important and just

for a few brief years as he was the

hopes were high that actually despite

being the spare to the air he was going

to make a success of this how then did

he become embroiled in one of the Royal

Family's biggest scandals pandra are you

resigning I think Prince Andrew's

friendship with Jeffrey Epstein has been

one of the most damaging things that

happen to the royal family within the

years members of the Royal Family are

often given titles upon marriage and

different after marrying Sarah Ferguson

in 1986 his mother the queen bestowed on

York with the dukedom came a royal

year and a brand new family home sunning

Sur being the Duke of York of course a

role that comes with all the perks and

privileges life in a palace a valet a

butler um you know his every whim

catered For I mean Andrew had all of

that a life of luxury a life of

privilege connected by title rather than

blood prince Andrew was now part of a

house and lineage dating back over 600

but his chapter as the Duke of York

1999 prince Andrew was introduced to

Jeffrey Epstein this acquaintan­ce would

go on to result in one of the House of

controvers­ies Jeffrey Epstein was a

multi-mill­ionaire American hedge fund

manager who socialized in the company of

Rich powerful men and beautiful women I

think they became friends very quickly

Andrew has always been attracted to rich

men and money and Epstein was by all

accounts a charismati­c fellow there's

one thing in America that Trump's cash

it's royalty Eton had the cash Andrew

had the cach A and of course Andrew was

a real life Prince Americans love

royalty in 2008 Jeffrey Epstein was

found guilty of procuring a person under

the age of 18 for prostituti­on and went

prison Prince Andrew's past meetings

with Epstein before he was convicted

scrutiny Andrew would invite him to Bal

moral you know the Queen's private home

at balm moral invited him shooting at

Sandringha­m the Queen's private home in

norick he went to be's 18th birthday

party at Windsor Castle and you know was

really kind of invited Into the Heart of

Society many assumed that with Epstein

having spent time Behind Bars the Duke

of York would cut all contact what was

so staggering was in 2011 after Epstein

had been released from jail Andrew was

photograph­ed walking with him was an

extraordin­ary image and the whole story

and the Scandal if you like about Andrew

and his question able taste in friends

really Springs from that photograph

Andrew felt that he could still remain

Epstein a bit naive uh but then his

judgment has always been a bit naive it

was around the time of Epstein's release

that a photo of the Duke of York and

Virginia robits now Jeffrey appeared in

press although some close to the prince

claimed it was a fake and the story went

quiet 4 years later things went from bad

to worse for the Duke of York when

Virginia Roberts implicated him in the

growing sex scandal Virginia Roberts

claimed she'd been essentiall­y recruited

as a very young girl by Epstein and

prince Andrew had slept with her three

times prince Andrew strenuousl­y denied

all allegation­s and the accusation­s were

later thrown out of court after the

judge ruled the them immaterial and

impertinen­t at the moment these are

allegation­s nothing has been proven and

in this country you are innocent until

proven guilty nonetheles­s allegation­s of

damaging did you recover from this sir

2015 with questions still looming over

the Duke of York he was forced to

address the accusation­s during a royal

Eng engagement firstly um I think I must

want uh for the record uh to refer to

the events uh that have taken place in

weeks and I just wish to uh reiterate

and to reaffirm the statements which

have already been made on my behalf by

Palace this was one Scandal that would

away in July of 2009 19 Jeffrey Epstein

was charged with further counts of sex

traffickin­g he committed suicide in his

trial with the eyes of the press back on

Epstein and his associates prince Andrew

news this time it was a video from

2010 and like the photo in Central Park

it showed the Duke of York's spending

time with Epstein after the latter's

conviction a video of Andrew at

Epstein's townhouse in Manhattan um you

know where it was lots of comings and

goings with young women so the world is

saying how could he not have known what

was going on the Duke of York strongly

denied any wrongdoing but the Press

continued to ask serious questions of

him members of the royal family have to

be really careful about the company they

keep and I think the the main charge

against Andrew is the company he has

kept he's guilty of one thing and that's

poor Judgment of going to see Epstein um

after he was convicted the ultimate lack

of judgment is having a friendship with

epone at all he sounds like an evil you

Dreadful uh pedophile Prince Andrew's

heat in explosive scenes captured

outside a New York courtroom in the

2019 Virginia Roberts continued to

accuse the Duke of York on the steps of

the Court Virginia Roberts said and this

is incur said Andrew knows what he has

done that's what forced prince Andrew

into uh issuing his latest statement the

Duke of York chose to clarify the facts

around his relationsh­ip with Epstein by

issuing a statement as well as being

appalled by the alleged crimes prince

Andrew claimed that he only saw Epstein

once or twice a year and that he did did

not see witness or suspect any behavior

of the sort that subsequent­ly led to his

arrest and conviction I think he was

trying to apologize it just prolonged

the story made everything worse and it

raised a lot more questions it does beg

the question well why has it taken him

nine years to respond in the way he has

the photograph has been around and the

allegation­s since before 2010 why on

Earth didn't he say something then in

spite of the negativity in the press her

majesty the Queen has continued to stick

son he assured her of this the first

time around in 2011 and he assured his

mother then that that she had nothing to

worry about I was told by a source very

close to the family he has her full

support and after this news had broken

the queen was pictured being driven to

church in Scotland with her second son

smiling broadly for the cameras what

better way I suppose to send out um a

very clear signal and show of support

the queen was once again standing by her

son it certainly isn't the first time

that the Queen's second son has had

questions asked of him by the world's

media I think in in Royal circles

there's a bit of a despairing and

ringing of their hands because you know

this wasn't just a one-off there has

been so many questionab­le decisions that

Andrew has uh made and there's a sense

of of for goodness sake you know when

were you going to wise up the comments

that are made about an extravagan­t

lifestyle and so forth is that fair what

2019 the Duke of York prince Andrew hit

the headlines following the suicide of

Epstein his associatio­n with Epstein was

another controvers­y to add to the

growing list that has plagued the house

York prince Andrew is not the first Duke

of York to be myed in controvers­y but I

certainly think the uh Epstein

allegation­s are perhaps some of the more

serious in the history of Dukes of

York but this latest Scandal isn't

Prince Andrew's first Rush with the

press in 2001 prince Andrew stepped down

from his military position in the Navy

to take on a parliament­ary role as the

Ambassador there was always the question

of what's next for the Duke um and this

ticked all of the boxes Andrew was

determined to make a success of being

trade Envoy and I think as an ambassador

for for Great Britain certainly in those

early days of that role I think he did

quite a good job I mean he certainly had

pulling power you would hear MP saying

that he was the greatest asset for

Britain in terms of trade and Industry

because frankly you get a call saying

would you like to meet prince Andrew the

yes Prince Andrew's Royal profile opened

many doors for British trade pretty

impressive 6,000 jobs uh and a billion

pounds worth of investment I mean that's

not something to be sniffed at is it it

isn't um and what's really encouragin­g

about that is that is that that's gone

931 um starting and scaling businesses

and 97% of those 931 are still operating

today and they're still growing but some

also feel that the Duke of York's new

correspond­ent gets to go to Buckingham

Palace to look through the Royal account

and we all go straight to the travel

Document because that's the one we all

understand how much the Royal Train

costs how much those private flights are

costing and year after year he would be

list go out on a trade Mission um either

in on a a scheduled flight or in what

used to be known as a Queen flight

aircraft uh and he'd do the business on

behalf of British trade internatio­nal

and then he'd go off and uh get the golf

LS out the boot of the plane and go off

Golf the Duke of York's frequent travel

and mode of Transport quickly guarded

nickname Air Miles Andy um was a

nickname which refused to shift for many

many many years he was stung by the

nickname because he thought it was

slightly insulting to him um as though

he was just sort gallivanti­ng around the

world um having fun whereas his argument

was look he's he's there on official

business he's doing what the government

do one year in particular prince Andrew

Cost the British taxpayer over half a

million this was seen as not on and

quite frankly it wasn't on it's not the

sort of things you do if you go out and

you're there doing a job of work on

behalf of UK PLC you do the job of work

you come home if you want to go and play

golf and you make your own Arrangemen­ts

get it on an airplane and pay for the

fair yourself and fly off and

that the Duke of York agreed to a

onetoone television interview I am not

doing this as it were for my own good I

am not getting any return for this this

is all done on behalf of the UK it's not

done on my behalf if I was doing it I

wouldn't I wouldn't as it were allocate

my time in this way can I ask you as I

inevitably must about the criticism that

is sometimes even often leveled at you

in this job the comments that are made

about an extravagan­t lifestyle and so

lifestyle traveling by private jet using

helicopter­s when you could take a train

but it is it is again it is the

maximizati­on of my time for the uh best

value for money and that's the way that

that that and I'm not the one that makes

those decisions in truth um it became

quite a problemati­c role for Andrew I

think he frequently found himself um

having to defend himself having to

defend the flight that he was racking up

that became an issue that became more of

the story than than Andrew representi­ng

Britain overseas and that was a problem

did you have to go by private jet to

Newcastle yeah because there was no

other way of getting there and back

bearing in mind from what I was doing

afterwards on top of the alleged travel

perks Andrew continued to be in the

headlines once again it was because of

the company he was keeping it was the

meeting with the Gaddafi where I think

entertaine­d the ousted former president

of uh of Tunisia at Baki and pal

the facts that Andrew went out to Foster

these questionab­le relationsh­ips um

suggests that perhaps the Allure of

money of wealth of all of these offshore

billions was incredibly appealing to

Andrew he's not good at picking picking

his associates he's not good at picking

his um I won't say friends but

acquaintan­ces bottom line he's grown up

in palaces and castles he's the son of

the queen he is used to a certain sort

of Lifestyle so guess what he mixes with

people who have that similar sort of jet

lifestyle Andrew has perhaps been rather

naive and not really perhaps uh

understood the kind of at least the

Optics of some of what he has done I

think Andrew felt that he had this

official role as trade Envoy for the UK

government and was doing a great job

he's very thin skinned and um he takes

any kind of criticism extremely

personally and and and and angrily in

fact the Press continued to question the

Duke's suitabilit­y for the trade Envoy

role I think the Press became less

supportive over the years I think um he

was on the receiving end of quite a lot

unfair I would argue not because I think

some of the decisions Andrew made were

bad decisions some of the um business

clever it was at this moment with huge

pressure mounting on Prince Andrew's job

that the photo with Jeffrey Epstein in

Central Park was released sealing the

trade ambassador­'s fate he mix business

with pleasure and if you're going to mix

business with pleasure be very careful

about the pleasure that you that you mix

with uh and he wasn't there was MPS who

had described Andrew as the most

glittering asset for Britain over seas

that was when those MPS then turned on

the Duke and said he's got to go this is

untenable in 2011 prince Andrew stepped

Ambassador I think that actually he felt

it wasn't guilty of anything but it was

underminin­g his position as a trade

Ambassador and embarrassi­ng the queen

and the Queen's government and I think

he felt it would be best if he just

stepped aside at that time and I think

that probably stopped the continual

Onslaught in the media and that's

probably what was needed how are you

sir within the Royal House of York it's

not just the Duke who has received

publicity by his side for many years was

the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson who

was no stranger herself to Scandal and

controvers­y Sarah um has a very

contagious personalit­y um Andrew was

very much drawn to her it was the

ultimate Royal fairy tale in many ways

unstuck prince Andrew has spent most of

Spotlight a celebrated naval officer a

Playboy prince and a much talked about

Ambassador he received his official

title from the queen and became the 11th

Fergie and Diana were very good friends

on and Diana was always trying to find a

boyfriend for Fergie and um she came up

with the idea of Andrew Sarah Ferguson

was typical uh Jolly hockey sticks uh

daughter of a an army officer a polo

player skiing uh all over the Alps in in

the winter she was always going to be uh

an interestin­g addition to the royal

family and on top of that she and Diana

got on really well every uh June when

attending Royal ascet the queen has a

house party at Windsor Castle and on

this occasion Diana invited Fergie as

she was known the freckles and red hair

and outgoing bubbly humor and she and

Andrew apparently got on extremely well

so much so that they were feeding each

other uh profiterol from the dining room

table was at lunch wasn't it we we we

were made to sit next door to each other

at lunch at Asar yes and you made me eat

chocolate profit rolls which I didn't

want to eat at all I then didn't have

him so I got hit the queen was delighted

she has always really enjoyed Fergie's

company uh Fergie's a horsewoman she

loves dogs she loves Country Life and

she's fun she's she's she's a really

her before long the couple had announced

their engagement could I ask you then

miss Ferguson do you remember what he

absolutely but I'm not telling you there

would have been a sigh of relief that

Randy Andy's days of hitting the

nightclubs were over I mean this was

really the the height of popularity for

the royal family the wedding of Charles

and Diana William and Harry being born

and then it was Andrew and Fergie

congratula­tions the Press were hugely

interested in in Andrew and and Sarah

they they were tactile they were loving

know everything that Charles and Diana

story in 1986 just 5 months after

becoming engaged the pair married at

ABY prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson

became the Duke and Duchess of York I

think what was so exciting for the Press

during this period of of those Royal

marriages was that for the first time

they had the or origal Fab Four you know

you had Andrew and Fergie Charles and Dy

these two very glamorous women they were

out there on the world stage and I think

at that period you know the future was

very sunny and very bright for the royal

family the couple were whisked away on

Royal tours of Canada and North America

where the duchess made quite an

impression what I remember about that in

particular was that she was very

articulate and um seemed to handle

herself well I could not go through a

whole tour letting my darling husband of

a year and a day do all the public

once that I should have the last word

tonight I think Andrew was very proud of

her I mean she compliment­ed him if you

like in a way she rubbed off some of his

rougher edges I mean he was still a

slightly abrasive character she was good

yeah one of the royal couple's stops was

Hollywood I was on the Royal tour when

they were in Los Angeles and they were a

huge success everybody loved them at

talk all these men around here love

Fergie appeared in different little

outfits and her different bows in her

hair and it was all quite over the top

I'm so amazed by Los Angeles and the

welcome that you've given us and

me but I never forget that the only

reason I'm here is because I'm married

to the Duke of York there was a big

reception and all the the sort of La

crowd and Fergie and Andrew really did

by 1990 the couple had welcomed two

beatric and Eugene but cracks were

marriage Fergie was Finding life at the

palace extremely difficult she was being

criticized hugely at this stage of her

life she didn't have prince Andrew at

her side because he was away doing his

Naval duties so things just really

really started to break down as well as

the Royal tours prince Andrew was still

serving as a naval officer spending more

and more time away from his family it's

it's terrible I mean I mean you're

you're going away and leaving what you

love behind it's a fantastic job all

three s is a fantastic job for a single

man it's getting less and less so for a

married man Sarah was basically a single

mother at home with raising two children

and it put a huge strain on the

the couple's marriage was under intense

media scrutiny rumors of Affairs began

Press Fergie was seeing a man called

Steve Wyatt and it seemed so soon after

the marriage and yet there was already

Tau that the marriage was in great

difficulty she felt neglected by her own

husband she was being given a really

hard time by the Press I think she was

vulnerable speculatio­n continued for

months until the Duke and Duchess of

announceme­nt when Andrew and Sarah

announced their um separation in early

1992 very rapidly she was seen to be

euphemisti­cally described as her

adviser a royal separation was only the

start of the controvers­y for the Duke

and Duchess of York after now Infamous

photos of Sarah Ferguson were released

in the media I was with John Bryan the

night the pictures appeared in in one of

the Tabloid newspapers and I'd gone to

his flat with the Daily Mirror and he

phoned Fergie and I could hear him

talking to her and you know he's saying

it's bad it's worse than we thought

they' managed to get pictures of her on

a sunbed and she was having her toes

advisor these pictures were compromisi­ng

Fergie things quickly went from bad to

York poor Fergie the following day she

had to go down to breakfast at balm

moral castle where all the papers were

all laid out as they always are every

day on a sideboard and she had to sit

there and sort of the humiliatio­n must

have been awful for her she fled B moral

in tears and she didn't return for a

very long time Sarah Ferguson was really

cast to the the outer Darkness it was

the final nail in the coffin for Andrew

Sarah the Duke and Duchess of York's

relationsh­ip troubles were publicized

over combined with other Royal scandals

1992 would prove to be a year that would

haunt the queen it has turned out to be

I suspect that I'm not alone in thinking

it so the 1990s was a series of

disasters 1992 being uh the worst year

in terms of Royal breakups uh three

Royal marriages uh three of the Queen's

children uh separated in 1992 Princess

Anne divorced Andrew and Fergie

separated Charles and D separated not

only were her children's marriages

deteriorat­ing but they were being played

out in the press in the most lavish

spectacula­r fashion it culminated in

that famous speech that she gave in

which she described 1992 as her Anis

herbis her horrible year her worst year

like 4 years later Sarah Ferguson and

prince Andrew finally divorced although

no longer considered a royal she was

allowed to retain her title as The

York many thought their separ operation

would bring an end to the media frenzy

York you know Diana took Millions from

her divorce with Charles Fergie took

pretty much nothing so Fergie is

constantly chasing her tail and running

out of money and so she goes to more and

more desperate means she became a bit of

our liability to prince Andrew and

therefore I think he realized and

certainly the royal family would have

realized that you know while she still

had these debts she was a massive

liability despite her divorce from

prince Andrew in the late 1990s Sarah

Ferguson The Duchess of York embarked on

an unofficial tour of the United

States she got involved with Weight

Watches she seemed to be basically doing

anything she could to earn a living make

some money she had huge debts she would

spill uh her thoughts or her emotions in

front of anybody who would listen to her

she became a kind of darling on the

Oprah Winfrey kind of circuit in America

and it this was exactly what a royal

even a sort of ex-royal should not be

doing and she really did cause

embarrassm­ent to the royal family prince

Andrew also found himself back in the

headlines after he sold the marital home

Sur the 12-bedroom country residence had

been a gift from her majesty the queen

he wanted to get it off his hand

and it was on the market and wasn't

selling and then lo and behold it was

bought by one of the contacts he'd made

through his travels uh the son-in-law of

the then president of Kazakhstan and

this generous individual not only bought

the house but he bought it for £3

million more than the asking price it

provoked many questions as to why the

answer has never satisfacto­rily been

given at the time a spokesman for prince

Andrew said there was never any

arangement or impropriet­y and that £12

million was a guide price not an asking

price in 2010 rumors of bankruptcy for

Sarah Ferguson began circulatin­g in the

press and the Duchess of York became

part of a huge Sting from the news of

the world the fake Shake uh for the news

of the world got lots of exclusives

filming people agreeing to staff or

taking money and the the cash for Access

story with Fergie was incredibly

damaging it was another black mark

against her no one was surprised when

she found herself a victim of a pretty

unpleasant newspaper sting and they got

her on film boasting that she could get

access to prince Andrew in exchange for

half a million pounds it was hugely

embarrassi­ng once again for the

Royals The Duchess of York has said she

was devastated by the news of the world

sting and that it was a serious lapse in

judgment she also later added that she

tricked Sarah Ferguson's reported

financial difficulti­es would see a

Epstein in 2011 The Duchess of York

admitted to accepting £15,000 from

debts one of the other complicati­on to

the story of Epstein and Andrew is the

fact that the Duchess of York herself

was acquainted with Epstein and indeed

he lent her money for the the infamous

debts that she had um after her divorce

to Andrew Epstein was among a number of

rich men who helped to bail her out a

bad choice and um I think the duchess

has since recognized that she should not

him Sarah Ferguson later said she had

judgment it all just is very very very

unfortunat­e and it's again this kind of

lingering bad taste that Epstein has

brought to the Royal Family's uh

reputation in regard to both Andrew and

Sarah despite all the controvers­y over

the years prince Andrew and The Duchess

of York remained close what I find

remarkable is that despite all of the

Scandal you know the the debt the

controvers­ies Andrew and Sarah have

remained the best of friends with the

whole Epstein Affair Fergie has

absolutely kind of stood by her man I

think she's been the one who's been in

scrapes before and Andrew's always stood

by her he's never thrown her to the

Wolves he's always looked after her

financiall­y emotionall­y and I think this

time she fell able to repay a lot of

debt with the Epstein Scandal showing no

of Disappeari­ng and Prince Charles set

to one day take the throne what does the

future hold for the Duke of York and his

family over the years the house of York

has been embroiled in damaging scandals

none more so than the associatio­n with

Epstein I think that Andrew's judgment

is probably clouded partly by the life

he's LED his upbringing he's been

world and Royal insiders say that the

whole Affair has impacted Andrew's

relationsh­ip with his older brother

Charles who as Future King will have

ultimate say over the future of the

British Monarchy and Andrew's

role my understand­ing from a source very

close to the Prince of Wales is that

when he saw those pictures of Epstein

and his brother photograph­ed walking in

Central Park his advice to his brother

was to leave that relationsh­ip well

alone it was a relationsh­ip that I think

had worried Charles from quite an early

stage but that picture was um was really

the nail in the coffin for Charles it

was when he said to his brother stay

away from this but of course that advice

late could the scandals of prince Andrew

lead to the marginaliz­ation of the House

York there is a battle going on right

now behind the railings of royal anes

about the future size of the British

Monarchy about slimming it down about

getting rid of the minor Royals from the

on there was a glimpse of the new

potential slim down monarchy at the

2012 the Duke of York and his two

daughters princesses beatric and Eugene

were noticeably absent further fueling

speculatio­n that Prince Charles was

beginning to sideline the house of York

Andrew and his family not being invited

to appear on the balcony at Buck Palace

for the Queen's Jubilee was really

significan­t because it was a real

statement of intent by Prince Charles

this was the future of the royal family

William Harry Kate Charles Camila the

queen Andrew and Y betc were nowhere to

be seen and Andrew very much felt the

snub but Charles was proclaimin­g it very

publicly by saying this is the current

monar this is the future Mon and this is

the future of the royal family in a very

very public way and it was like no

Andrew it's the Magnificen­t Seven as

they then were that's Charles's vision

of a modern monarchy it's not a balcony

stuff full of 20 or 30 people Andrew is

not stupid he's noticed that and he is

absolutely campaignin­g for a a future

role a bigger role for yug and berric

you like to officially the for open now

this has provoked an enormous conflict

largely between prince Andrew and his

brother Prince Charles it's Charles who

is driving this idea of a slim down

monarchy and it has been from Charles's

side of of the argument that beatric and

euy should perhaps be pushed out of the

Limelight as well as criticism leveled

at the Duke and duess of York their

daughters princesses beatric and Eugene

have also over the years been criticized

press in particular their cost to the

taxpayer as Royal princesses they'd had

fulltime wraparound Royal Protection

Royal protection armed police officers

is a very expensive business it's a

necessity for Frontline members of the

royal family but where the public began

to question the costs involved in

security were particular­ly about beatric

and us the public kicked up and said you

know this is ridiculous beatric is

traveling all over the world on exotic

holidays why should we pay police

protection which is quite right it's

like well why are we paying for this

when she's not going to be a future

working Royal and so Andrew under a lot

of public scrutiny was forced to pay

2011 to pay for all these police

protection officers for both girls and

then they lost the Sovereign Grant which

meant they would not get money paid out

of the sovereign'­s purse uh because they

duties it was decided that the working

members of the war family would be

limited to the four children of the

queen and then Charles's children the

heir's children because it was decided

that we didn't want to have too big a

drain on on The Sovereign Grant but

Andrew wanted both his daughters to be

working Royals I think he wanted the

them you look at the Princess Royal

she's got two children uh Peter Phillips

and zaraa Tindle both of them without

titles have made their way in life quite

admirably without any handouts from

anybody without any titles uh and it's

worked for them and if it's worked for

them then it should work for berric and

2018 princess Eugene married her

long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank amid

all the Pomp and ceremony of a royal

wedding the scale of which many believed

was Prince Andrew's way of putting his

Limelight there was criticism over

Eugene's wedding it was paid for

privately and yet you know there was

still questions asked over whether it

was absolutely necessary to have two

wedding dresses three days of parties

and I think for the Yorks it's hard for

them to escape that sort of controvers­y

because they have been known for their

exuberan spending over the years prince

Grand and Royal and he makes things

happen you want to get married in St

George's Chapel you get married in St

George's Chapel you want to the biggest

party of the world has ever seen in my

it Andrew was it pains to point out that

this was a bigger wedding than Harry and

Megan's and that they'd invited more

people to the to Phil St George's Chapel

of course that was the the same place

that Harry and Meg got married a couple

of months earlier because Jack and you

had so friends so more people had to

come usually had three days of parties

was almost Andrew saying yeah Megan and

Harry whatever you can do I can do

better and it was rumored in the press

that prince Andrew was Keen for his

daughter's husbands to have Royal titles

denied it's very interestin­g the way

that princess usually still child

because her husband hasn't got a title

officially she should now be Mrs Jack

Brooksbank and in the court circular and

in correspond­ence because that's her

very archaic official title but it's

very interestin­g that she is styled

princess eany comma Mrs Jax Brooks Frank

so I think that was very much a sign

from prince Andrew that his daughter

should be remembered that she's still a

princess despite Prince Andrew's best

efforts to keep the house of York front

and center what will the Epstein scandal

2019 fresh Revelation­s and the Epstein

Scandal emerged once again threatenin­g

York did you recover from this

sir he's never been far away from

controvers­y but his connection with

Epstein that ill-fated friendship the

Epstein connection has inflicted the

greatest damage on his reputation as a

member of the royal family in July

Federal prosecutor­s filed new charges

and once again arrested Jeffrey

Epstein Prince Andrew's continued

friendship with Epstein was once more

question previously unseen footage of

prince Andrew in Epstein's Manhattan

although it had sort of slept dormant

for four or five years it it burst on

the scene again and they showed a video

of Andrew at Epstein's townhouse in

Manhattan you know where there was lots

of comings and goings with young women

so the world is saying how could he not

have known what was going on this has

been a very turbulent summer for the

royal family Buckingham Palace has gone

into firefighti­ng mode they're defending

the Duke of York against the most

serious allegation­s to plague him in his

Royal career there are questions that

many believe the Duke hasn't completely

answered Epstein's suicide whilst in

custody meant he never stood trial for

allegation­s now that Epstein is dead and

is not going to have his day in court um

it's hard to see how Andrew can profitly

and conclusive­ly sh shut these

down the case against Epstein was

dropped after his suicide but there have

been calls to investigat­e some of his

associates with the Duke of York named

2015 Virginia Roberts's lawyers have

asked for prince Andrew to come forward

and be interviewe­d under oath despite a

judge ruling comments about him be

struck from the court record for being

impertinen­t Andrew has never been spoken

to by American law enforcemen­t agencies

Bucky and Palace has been at pains to

stress that if if people want to talk to

Andrew they can I mean of course they

they whether that would actually happen

matter if the Duke of York were to

testify it would be the first time in

history that a member of the British

royal family has appeared in a US court

Andrew clearly in his statements

repeatedly has said I didn't do anything

wrong I didn't know anything wrong was

going on the statement hasn't appeased

the various Epstein victims in America

and in particular one has said that

Andrew knows what he has done and the

lawyer is calling for Andrew to go to

testify Virginia Roberts gave a

televised interview to American

television program Dateline for NBC

it was a program watched by millions in

which she further detailed her alleged

Andrew this is not a trial by the media

it is an investigat­ion and it not up to

the newspapers to point fingers it's not

up to newspapers to put him on trial it

is up to the Americans as and when they

case will he be a hostile witness uh to

the FBI inquiry will he be dragged into

some court case in America that seems

less likely but surely someone is going

to want some answers to very many

questions about his connection to

Jeffrey Epstein to the girls and to all

those stories which have been buffeting

the royal family throughout the summer

months despite his protestati­ons of

Innocence we don't really know what

problem and I think that this will

continue to dog him this affair for the

rest of his life the impact of the

Epstein Scandal on the royal family is

yet to be seen the royal family are by

their very nature loyal to one another

and they close ranks and support each

other but prince Andrew is testing uh

that policy and that loyalty and you

know Family Ties absolutely to the Limit

the royal family over the centuries have

innuendo scandals and they have survived

they've survived for over a thousand

years and they will continue to survive

individual members of the roal family

are not involved in this only prince

Andrew as Prince Andrew's future is

discussed and speculated upon in every

quarter the title Duke of York is itself

future because prince Andrew has no male

heirs the title is due to end but Andrew

has only two daughters and as things

stand at the moment as I understand it

the title will go into abeyance or die

with him if you like and then it'll be

up to another Monarch Prince William who

has two sons and he could give his son

Louie the title Duke of York um when he

throne currently eighth in line to the

throne questions remain over Prince

Andrew's future and that of the Royal

York his diary is having to be cleared

because of the continued speculatio­n and

it's really unsure and uncertain quite

what's going to happen next in terms of

how Andrew is going to rebuild what is

now a very tarnished reputation he's

never going to get rid of the stigma

but it doesn't mean he can't live with

it it doesn't mean he can't go on but it

will always be there now there is talk

that he might withdraw completely from

Royal life but he can't Disappear

Completely he's a me he's a member of

the royal family he cannot resign from

the royal family he is still Prince

Charles's brother and the Queen's

favorite son this is very damaging for

the reputation of the Duke of York uh he

would say at worst he's been too too

loyal to a friend and he shouldn't have

continued the friendship with Epstein

but you know when you have people on the

steps of a court in New York saying he

knows what he has done I don't think

anybody thinks this is the end of the